the multiplicite of excommunications tot hodie fiunt officiales quod vix est aliquis c. There are so many excommunications now a dayes by officials that scarce any man that feareth God can liue in the world with a safe conscience VVhervpon it was directed vt caveant ab earū multiplicatione c. That they should beware of multiplying excômunications lest they be brought to contempt These are the showers of Chancelors and officials excommunications that flee faster then lightening in tempest Object 9. In our vnderstanding the Minister of the parish doth giue his consent to the petition p. 23. Ans VVhat consent call yee this when the Chancellor or Officiall sendeth his mandate and the Minister must denounce the sentence of excommunication or be suspended himselfe doe yee count this consent sufficient what is the pastor here els but the officials slaue to denounce his censures VVhat is this els but against the Apostle to be the seruantes of men But 1 Cor. 7. 21 De 7. ordin Eccles as Hierome saith non in dominatione vt servos habeas sed in ministerio liberos preachers should not be vsed as servants with indignitie but as free men in their ministrie Object 10. They intend the inabling of everie particular pastor alone to excommunicate Answ to the petition ibid. Ans Neither is it our desire that every particular Pastor should be inabled to excomunicat vntruth We giue no such power to particular pastors himself alone against the Apost rule not as Lords ouer Gods heritage As the the other is slavish so this were popelike as Hierome will saith contenti sint honore suo sciant se patres esse non dominos Let them be content with theyr owne honor and know they are fathers and not Lords Obejct 11. If the pastor ought to be ioyned in commission there would followe a world of troubles Answ ibid. Answ Neither were it fitt that everie pastor should be ioyned in commission with the Chauncelor and attend vpon his courts for that were infinite and tedious for the pastors to withdrawe them from their flocks Cyprian will saith Neque in altari meretur nominari in sacerdotum prece 1. Pet. 5. 3. Lib. 1. ep 9. qui ab altari sacerdotes avocare volunt Hce deserues not to be mentioned in the Minicters praiers that would draw him from executing his Ministery But it shall euen now appeare what our desire is Our desire is that discipline may be administred according to the rules of Gods word or as things now stand seeing there are three persons in this busines to bee respected the Bishop in his diocese the officers and Ministers of the Bishop and the severall pastors VVee would haue euery mans right reserved that all matters of instance and ciuill pleas should be still referred to the Civill Iudges but matters of office as they are called excommunication and spirituall misdemeanors to be censured by the companie of presbyters in euerie Deanrie and division assisted if it please the kings Maiestie with some graue persons of the Lay sort to be assembled monethly together or otherwise as there shall bee cause and from them if there bee any iust agrevance appeale to be made to the bishop Synods of the Bishops and Presbyters necessary with his synod of presbyters For this course to appeale and referre doubtfull matters to synods is both agreable to scriptuers and practise of the ancient Church As in Antioch when the Church was troubled about cercumcision they sent to the Apostles and Elders about that question Act. 15. 2. Thus was it decreed in the great Nicene synode that in euery prouince bishops should assemble twice in the yeare to heare the complaints of such as were excommunicate can 5. The same decree is revived Antioch c. 20. Neither had they onely provinciall synods but the bishop for the same cause had his assembly of pastors Cyprian writing to the presbyters and deacons of Carthage saith A primordio Episcopatus mei statui nibil sine consilio vestro mea privatim sententia gerere c. Since Cypr. lib. 3. epist. 10. my first entrance into my Episcopall charge I dermined to doe nothing priuately of my self without your counsell Gregorie saith lest there be any dissention among brethren c. Lib. 7. epist 110. In unum convnire sacerdotis est c It is necessarie for the Priests to meet together quem negligentia reijcit cum omnium presbyterorum consilio refutetur whom his owne negligence maketh vnworthy let him be displaced by the councell of the presbyters Turenens 2. c. 7. For this cause it was not long since decreed by a provinciall synod singulis annis saltem synodus diocesane a singulis Reformat Ratisp art 35. Episcopis celebrant Euery yeare at the least let everie Bishop celebrate a synod in his diocese Thus if this course were taken Christs institution for the censure of excommunication shall be kept the Pastors shall bee reverenced the preaching of the word furthered people with long iournies not wearied manners shall bee duely corrected And thus much is insinuated by Cyprian Epist 3. ad Cornel. A Equum est iustum ut uniuscujusque causa illic audiatur ubi est crimen admissum singulis pastoribus sit portio gregis a scripta quam regat unusquisque gubernet rationem sui actus Domino redditurus It is right and iust that every mans cause bee heard where the fault is made and to every pastor a part of the flock should be committed to bee governed VVherefore most noble King 1. seeing The conclusion excommunication should bee decreed by an assembly according to Christs rule Matth. 18. 18. 2. Neither should there be any monark or sole commander in the spirituall regiment of the Church 3. If S. Paul did not excommunicate without the Pastors 4. If all that haue authoritie to preach haue right to the keyes 5. If they which haue a ioynt power of ordination haue also of iurisdiction 6. If by the word of God a Bishop and a Priest are all one 7. If all pastorall duties equally belong to all Pastors 8. If whatsoeuer appertaineth to the edifying of the Church is appendant to the pastors office 9 If it be safer that many excōmunicate by consent then one 10. If it hath been the practise of the Church to ioyne presbyters with Bishops in the spirituall regiment of the Church 11. If all Priests indifferently under the Law did separate and restore lepers whereunto answereth excommunication and reconciliation now 12. If presbyters sate in councels and gaue voyces and are allowed by the Law imperiall to excommunicate And further seing nothing can bee obiected of any moment 1. Neither S. Pauls delivering to Sathan of Alexander and Hymeneus 2. Neither of the Incestuous yong man at Corinth 3. seeing the key of knowledge which pastors haue is not to be severed from the keye of power 4. and as well may
for these things to take away many a true Sheppard and to commit or leaue the flock unto many a Wolfe and blind guide which will either make havock of them or lead them into the ditch of destruction Thirdly to leaue the Papists cause wholy 1. by retaining their ceremonies 2. suppressing our best Ministers 3. by withdrawing or mis-spending the gifts of themselues and others to mutuall brawles and so to giue them rest to mischiefe the Church and increase their Synagogue 4. by opening their mouth to blaspheme the Gospell by these our mutuall brables Fourthly to driue many hereby on the rock of Schisme and lamentable Separation the plentifull experience whereof hath bred much griefe in the hearts of the well affected Fifthly to undoe so many Ministers and their families of very good desert of the meanes of their maintenance to their utter undoing being so fitted for the Ministerie and unfitted for any thing else Sixthly to cause the Sabboth a morall precept of God to bee prophaned for ceremonies of mens addition and that in so many places of the Nation Seventhly to punish the people for the fault of their Pastor if any be For it is the Minister that conformeth not but by his silencing the people are plagued Pro. 29. 18. Hosea 4. 6. This is iniustice to punish one man for the offence of another Eightly to do a thing cleane contrary to that themselues pray for at least which Christ commands to pray for For Christ commands his to pray to the LORD of the harvest that he would thrust forth labourers into his harvest which when he hath done they thrust them out Math. 9. 38. Ninthly it utterly undoeth the Minister a painfull labourer of Iesus Christ as also his wife and children and disableth them to liue which by Gods apoyntment should be maintained 1. Cor. 9. 14. yea well maintainded 1. Tim. 5. 17. This is opposite to the law of loue Iustice Whereby it doth manifestly appeare that the Authour is very grosly abused because his whole minde is not published but so much onely as best serveth the Prelates turne a trick not unusuall with them for their advantage Witnesse amongst others the English translation of Bucanus his Common places Whereout the Authours discourse touching Discipline translated by Doctor Hill yea imprinted is taken and a discourse of Bishops governement put into the roome thereof both without Doctor Hils knowledge Nay hath not this Index expurgatorius tampered with the holy Scriptures themselues Obserue for the present but two places Act. 14. 23. is thus translated not onely in the Geneva but also in the former Church translation And when they had ordained them Elders by election But the new translation with the Rhemists leaveth out these words by election Why It is not to be suffered that the people should haue any hand in chusing their ministers but papal Bishops must do all 1. Cor. 12. 28. is translated both by the Geneva and former Church translation Helpers Governors but the new translators herein worse then the Rhemists translate it Helpes in governments foisting into the Text this preposition in Why They cannot abide Elders to assist the minister in governing Christ his Church So that Curchwardens are but the Prelats promoters But we must passe by this as their natural weaknesse seeing it is sucked in with the milk of their mother scil the Church of Rome from whom they haue receiued their callings also these corruptions thus by them pleaded for together with this unscholler like nay dishonest means of upholding the same 2 The tearmes of the main conclusion of the whole Tractate are to be considesidered scil It is necessary for a Minister to conforme to the ceremonies prescribed in the Church of England rather then to suffer deprivation Where it is to be noted 1. that he speaketh not one word in defence of the subscription required and yet most if not all these that are debarred from the execution of the worke of the Ministery in our Churches whether they haue been heretofore silenced or not are debarred principally for refusall of the sayd subscription To very little purpose therefore are his foure inferences layd down in the third page of his book nay in truth to very little purpose were his whole book were he able to iustifie all he hath written which all wise men may easily perceiue that he is never able to performe 2. That he speaketh so saintly for those ceremonies that not daring to say the required conformity is necessary either in it self or in respect of the Magistrates command he sayth onely this That it is necessaty rather then to suffer deprivation So that as in the Paragraph gelded by the Prelats it is evident that extra casum deprivationis a Minister is not to bee blamed for not conforming to them in this Authors iudgement nay that the Prelats are rather utterly to be blamed for requiring Conformity thereto 3 Every of those three arguments whereby hee endevoureth to proue this conclusion falleth as much too short of proving the conclusion as the conclusion it selfe doth of condemning the silenced Ministers of sin for not conforming rather then to suffer deprivation which are not deprived for not conforming but for not subscribing which he himselfe amongst his religious friends hath often both of old and also of late professed he neither would nor could yeeld to do for any mans pleasure under heauen what losse or punishment soever he suffered therefore The first Argument drawne from the doctrine and practise of the Apostles who taught that the Iewish Ceremonies were beggerly rudiments Traditions Will-worships Doctrines of Men c. and yet did practise the same besides many other iust exceptions is guilty of the fallacy à bene divisis ad male coniuncta seeing it is altogether as false that the Apostle did so teach and yet so practise in the same Churches as it is true that they did so teach and yet so practise at all For among the Iewes and in their Churches onely did they so practise to whom those Mosaicall Ceremonies were even lately before the saving ordinances of God given by God himself for their edification training up in religion to eternall life And the Author hath utterly failed to proue that the Apostles did so teach as is abouesayd in any of those Churches but onely in the Gentile Churches to whom they were never given by God to any such end nor indeed at all and there the Apostle Paul would not by any meanes suffer the use and practise of those Ceremonies to bee brought in no not for the space of an houre Galath 2. 5. but rather sharply reproved Peter and Barnabas openly and to the face for giving way thereunto Gal. 2. 14. lest by building againe the things hee had destroyed he should make himselfe a transgresser Gal. 2. 18. And hereto agree the rest Acts 21. 25. And if hee would not giue way no not for an houre that the Mosaicall Ceremonies should
loue of the truth that they might be saved 2. Thes 2. 10. 11. Now the very God of peace sanctify thee throughout in thy person in all thy wayes works and I pray God that thy whole spirit soule and body may be kept blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ even so Amen TO THE MOST CHRISTIAN and excellent Prince our gratious and Dread Soveraigne IAMES by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland c. Wee the Ministers and Preachers of the Church of England that desire Reformation wish a long prosperous and happy raigne over us in this life and in the next everlasting salvation MOst gratious and dread Soveraigne we little thought when first our humble Perition was exhibited to your excellent Maiesty it being both for the matter honest and for the manner peaceable should haue found so hard entertainment abroad as that this action of ours so Answ to the Petit. Epist. Ded. p. 4. l. 21. secretly orderly and lawfully enterprised should be by publick writing traduced as unduly and dishonestly attempted Our meaning was onely to intimate to your Majesty the state of our Church not to lay open the nakednes of our Mother to the scandall of the enemy nor to appeale to inferiour iudges to the preiudice of your Maiesty to whom the cognizance of this cause and deciding of this strife of right appertayneth We trust therefore that as Abraham composed the variance between Genes 13. Exod 2. his and Lots servants Moses between the Hebrewes Constantine among the Church Ministers so it will please your Majesty to be a iudge between us and to giue us leaue to defend iustifie our innocent cause As for us we say with the Apostles We cannot but speak the things which we haue seen and heard and approue that saying Act 4. 20. of Hierome Minoris peccati est sequi malum quod bonum putaris quam non audere defendere quod pro bono Dialog 1. advers Pelagian certo noveris Now then most noble King giue your faithfull subiects and unsained lovers of the trueth your princely leaue to iustify their honest and godly petition which hath been by some of our Brethren in their heate impugned In which their enterprise we humbly craue licence to propound certain generall observations which we referre to your Highnesse Christian consideration First whereas wee your Maiesties 1. Observation Opposition between the Kings iudgement the Censurers of Oxford humble Petitioners haue throughout conformed our desires and requests to your Maiesties iudgement who haue wished us to iudge of your future proiects according to your by-past actions and haue proportioned our suites after the rule prescribed in your Majesties book which you would Preface to Basil haue taken of all men as an image of your mind and a Discovery of that which may be looked for at your hands Yet our brethren to our understanding haue been bould in diverse points to oppose their indgement to your Maiesties 1. They count it an unsufferable Pag. 7. thing to permit any thing touching the government of the Church to be so much as questioned Whereas it hath pleased your Maiesty in your princely wisdome to permit and will a conference of the learned concerning such matters 2. They will not grant that these Pag. 10. articulated are the peccant humors of the Church and so consequently acknowledge none Your Majesty saith otherwise no kingdom lackes her own diseases and seemeth not to be ignorāt of corruptions stoln into the state 3 They justifie ceremonies traditions not warranted by the word as the crosse in baptisme the surplice interrogatories ministred to infants Confirmation But your Maiesty Basil p. 18. 19. hath shewed us to ground our conscience onely upon the expresse Scripture and to discerne between the expresse will Commandement of God in his word and the invention and ordinance of man 4. They count them turbulent p. 14. that would not haue the Apocrypha read in the Church But your Maiesties iudgement is otherwise as to the apocrypha books I omit them because Basil p. 1. I am no Papist and indeed some of them are no wayes like the ditement of the Spirit of God 5. Your Majesties princely resolution Basil p. 43. is to see all your Churches within your Dominions planted with good Pastors Our brethren say it is impossible and that the defects of some p. 15. Ans men may be better supplied by other meanes then by preaching as by reading of Scripture and of homilies p. 16. p. 14. and of the service boke and that all Ministers were not preachers in the primitiue Church 6. Your Maiestie most truly affirmeth Basil p. 4. according to the Apostle that faith commeth by hearing the word preached Our brethren say that the P. 16. Ans reading of Scriptuers of Sermons and Homilies are the ordinary effectuall meanes to increase faith 7. Your Maiesties Christian motion to the Vniversity is that leases of their tithes impropriate be so demised as Ecclesiastical persons onely may be maintained inabled to execute their functions the Collegdes being provided for But our Brethren do charge the p. 19. Petitioners for this motion with lack of conscience 8. Your Majesties care is that the Basil p. 43. doctrine be preserved in purity according to Gods word The Petitioners for moving to haue an uniformity of Doctrine and all popish opinions abolished are challenged for shamelesse p. 13. suggestions 9. Your Majesties will is that the Basil 13. discipline bee likewise preserved in puritie according to the word of God The Petitioners humbly desire accordingly that the discipline may be administred according to Christs institution for this motion they are reproved p. 20. 10. Your Maiesty most princelike Basil praef professeth equally to loue and honour the learned and graue men of either opinion that like better of the single forme of pollicy in the Church of Scotland or of the many ceremonies in the Church of England Our brethren Epist. p. 5. count the Petitioners Shismaticks Hypocrites dishonest persons for misliking of some ceremonies and other abuses and wish the land were cleane purged of them 11. Your Maiesty giveth this honorable Basil praef 11. testimony of the godly ministers of Scotland that there is presently a sufficient number of good men of them in that kingdom But the Confuters p. 30. say There are not many men brought up among them in this last reformed age worthy of that wonted honorable maintenance 12. Your Majesty specially provideth for keeping holy the Lords day so that alwayes the Sabboths be kept holy and no unlawfull pastime bee used But our brethren seeme to urge the Ans p. 13 rest upon other holy dayes as strictly as upon the Lords day Whatsoeuer opinion is conceiued of our brethren and howsoeuer they are men of credit and estimation in
tela divexi sed ad Russin meo tantum vulneri admovi manum Lastly wee note our brethrens oversight 4. observat in their manner of proceeding in publique impugning what was secretly intended and in proclaiming to the world that which only we presented to your Maiesty And whereas our brethren suggest that soone after this our petition and motion being made were sent forth Epist p. 3. into all quarters of the Realme store of the sayd pretended Petitions It is true may is please your Maiesty that no copies of the sayd petition were delivered to any beside our selues excepting that only which was exhibited to your Maiesty since which time no copies at all were dispersed into any quarters of the realme much lesse into all neyther before were any hands required to it but only consent So that notwithstanding these pretenses our brerhren are found to bee troublers of the state not the petitioners and to haue blowne the coales and kindled the flames which wee goe about to quench Wherefore wee humbly desyre your Maiestie that it bee not imputed to vs as a presumptuous part to answer for our selues being provoked neyther preiudiciall to the conference determined wee may verily say with Hierome si superbum Ad Theoph. sit respondisse multo sit superbius accusasse If it be a proud thing modestly to answer much more insolently to accuse Besyde as is our Brethrens cause such are theyr proofes they haue inmayntenāce The Censurers sparing in their proofs out of Scripture of theyr fāsies throughout theyr boke alledged but one text of scripture for any matter in question betweene vs which are about the number of thirty seueral points so that wee may say vnto them in Augustines words Qui divina testimonia non sequuntur pondus humani testimonij perdiderunt They which follow not the divine testimony haue lost the credit of their owne Now we humbly commend the innocency of our felues and the goodnesse of our cause to your Maiesties Christian iudgement we sue for nothing but wherein Gods word doth beare us out whereof your Maiesty hath given us hope and for the which we doubt not but to answer for our selues in the presence of God We trust that God hath raised your Maiesty up as another David to settle the pillars of the earth Psal 73. 3. that were shaken and as the Prophet sayth to take off the heavy burthens Esay 58. 6. burthenous ceremonies burthenous censures burthenous abuses which many haue a long time groned under Augustine to this purpose sayth well handling these words of the Psalme They haue ploughed upon my In Psa 128. back Ascende in dorsum meum portare te habeo c. Nunquid semper super dorsum meum eris veniet tandem qui te inde excutiet And he is now come wee trust which shall breake these yokes and God we are perswaded will inable your Maiesty to do that which shall bee acceptable to himselfe profitable to his Church comfortable to your own soule that we may all salute your Maiesty with the salutation of the Church of David Psa 20. 4. 5 the Lord grant thee according to thine heart and fulfill all thy purpose that we may reioyce in thy salvation set up our banner in the house of God when the Lord shall performe all thy petitions that we may all triumphātly say of your Maiesty as Ambrose of Ambr. Theodosij fides the good Emperour Theodosius Iacobi regis fides nostra victoria Your Maiesties most faithfull subiects The humble Petitioners the Ministers and Preachers that desire reformation according to the word of God THE ANATOMY OF THE CONTROVERSED CEREMONIES OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND BEEING considered in their Nature and Circumstances By Iohn Sprint Minister of Thornby in GLOCESTERSHIRE 1 Beginning 1 Blinde zeale and superstition as the Fountaine 2 Tradition as the streame and Channell 3 Popish Masse-booke as the puddle 2 End 1 Of inventing 1 To please Iew and Gentile by a perverse imitation 2 To paint Gods Worship with a needlesse adornation 2 Of maintaining 1 To claw and curry favour vvith Papists Atheists c. 2 Vo uphold our Church corruptions 1 Lordly Prelacie 2 Non-residency 3 Dumbe Ministery 3 To snare the faithfull professor 4 To nourish the carnall Gospeller 5 To thrust out the faithfull Teacher 6 To keepe out Christs Discipline 3 Persons 1 For them 1 Ordaining 1 Sathan inspired them 2 Man invented them 3 Fathers by tradition delivered them 2 Commanding and enforcing them 1 The Beast 1 Antichrist 2 His Bishops 2 Man 1 The Magistrate abused 2 Lordly Prelates abusing 3 Defending 1 Popish Champions 2 Dignified Chaplins alias Chop-livings 3 Covetous Chancellors 4 Ambitious Pluralists 5 Symonaicall Patrons alias Latrons 4 Approving 1 Impious Atheists 2 Ignorant Papists 3 Dumbe Homilists 4 Temporizing Statists 5 Povvling Registers 6 Provvling Paritors 7 Prating Proctors 8 All prophane livers 2 Against them 1 Refusing the most faithfull painfull blessed 1 Pastors 2 Exiles 3 Martyrs 2 Disliking the most zealous and godly people of all sorts 3 Disproving the most sincere learned forraine English 1 Writers 2 Preachers 4 Rejecting the purest and best reformed Churches 4 Matter 1 Negatiue No ordinances or commandements of God 2 Affirmatiue 1 Mans 1 Inventions 2 Precepts 3 Traditions 2 Antichrists 1 Idols 2 Will-vvorships 3 Reliques 5. Manner of urging maintaining 1 Reasoning 1 Cavilling 2 Railing 3 Slandering 4 Stirring up the Magistrate 1 Against the Innocent 2 Against their Brethren 2 Censuring 1 Suspending 2 Excommunicating 1 For a trifle 2 For things good 3 Ipsofacto 3 Deposing depriving degrading of 1 Law 2 Living 3 Ministery 6 Qualitie 1 Needlesse and superfluous because 1 Added to Gods perfect Ordinances 2 Gods Church worship may be without them 3 Not required of God nor having any speciall or generall ground out of the Word 2 Vnprofitable because they 1 Edifie not Men. 2 Glorifie not God 3 Serue not in the Church 1 For Order 2 For decencie 3 Hurtfull unto the 1 Weake by offence 2 Ignorant by superstition 3 Popish by Idolatry 4 Brethren by dissention 5 Godly by 1 Inward griefe 2 Outward persecution 6 Schismatickes by separation Occasioned 4 Wicked against the 2d. commandement 1 In disgracing the Sacraments Worship of God 2 In being defiled with superstion and Idolatry 3 In being the monuments of Idolatry 4 In being Will-worships 5 In bringing into Gods Worship the manner of 1 Iewes 2 Gentiles 3 Hereticks 4 Papists 6 In being symbolicall or signifying holy signes of mans invention Effect 1 In the persons for them 1 Prescribers and maintainers 1 Privation or abolishing of good namely of 1 Of Christian liberty to bind the conscience 1 Where God hath not tied 2 Where Christ hath freed 3 Vnder the same censures are greater penalty and strictnes then the breach of Gods commandements 4 Not to do that 1 Which is agreeing to the Word 2 which
God coÌ„maÌ„ds 2 Exercises of Religion Gods own ordinances 1 Preaching 2 Prophesying 3 Fasting 4 Dispossessing 3 Quiet and peace of the Church 4 People robbed of their Pastors 5 Painfull Pastors of their maintenance 2 Occasion of e-evill of 1 Sin 1 Abuse of censures in 1 Suspending 2 Excommunicating 1 Vainly 2 Vniustly 3 Vngodly 4 Ipso facto 3 Depriving 2 Prophanation of 1 Sabboth 2 Worship 3 Tyranny in Prelates 4 A foul-murdring ministry 1 Dumbe 2 Non-resident 5 Carnall liberty Atheisme grosse ignorance in the people 6 Contempt of GODS 1 Word 2 Ministery 2 Punishment Iudgements certainly following these evils 1 Bodily 2 Spirituall 2 Vsers a 2 In the persons against them b a Vsers 1 For loue 1 A Cloke of their 1 Ignorance 2 Slothfulnesse 3 Fleshlinesse 4 Covetousnesse 5 False and corrupt Doctrine 6 Scandalous life 2 A spur and sword unto their 1 Envy and Malice 2 Railing disgracing and persecuting of their 2 For feare 1 By present practise 1 Destroying former doctrine 2 Shutting up the mouth against corruptions 3 Quenching their zeale 4 Wounding their conscience 5 Reioycing the enemies of the truth 6 Grieving the friends of the truth 7 Estranged froÌ„ the better part 8 Linked to the worser part in 1 Affection 2 Practise 3 Fellowship 9 Confirming and countenacing the Prelates ungodly and tyrannous proceedings 10 Alluring occasioning others to fall by their 〈◊〉 2 By preparatioÌ„ unto 1 Subscription unlimited and ex animo to that all good Christians consciences do ex animo ablâ— 2 To plead for the great corruption of 1 Lordly Domination 2 Dumbe Ministery 3 Non-residency 3 To practise favour and maintaine them 4 To oppose and persecute 1 The cause of God 2 Their innocent godly breâ—â—â—â—â— b In persons against them 1 Refusing 1 God is glorified 2 The truth is iustified 3 The godly edified and strengthned 4 The adversaries mouthes stopped 5 The ignorant provoked to search and finde the truth 6 Themselues haue 1 Peace of conscience 2 Triall of patience 3 Note of faithfulnesse 4 Ioy in suffering 5 Increase of zeale 6 Hope of glory 2 Removing 1 Evill falleth 1 Corruptions in 1 Doctrine Of the Church 2 Ministery Of the Church 3 Government Of the Church 2 Scandall to the 1 Godly 2 Weake 3 Wicked 3 Prophanation in 1 Sacraments 2 Worship 3 Sabboth 4 Papistry Atheisme open wickednesse 2 Good flourisheth 1 Increase of faithfull Pastors 2 Increase of godlinesse in the people 3 Purity of 1 Doctrine 2 Worship 4 Peace loue and decent order in the Church 5 CoÌ„formity with the 1. Word 2 Best reformed Church 6 Gods blessing on 1 Church 2 Whole land BELLVM CEREMONIALE THE CEREMONIALL BATTELL Behold the Leaders and the Souldiers The better part disclaimes them The worser sort retaines them 1 God neuer planted nor his spirit inspired them 1 Sathan inspired them Man invented them 2 Christ hath freed us from them 2 Antichrist enthrales us vvith them 3 Holy Apostles neuer taught nor practised them 3 Romish Apostates euer taught practised them 4 Christian Churches reformed haue abolished them 4 Antichristian Romish church deformed retaines them 5 Word of God condemnes them 5 Masse booke justifieth them 6 Purest Writers conclude against them 6 Popish vvriters patronise them 7 Godly Martyres suffered for them 7 Vngodly Bishops persecute for them 8 The godly zealous Exiles vvithstood them 8 Carnall contentious Exiles stood for them 9 The most Reuerend Bishops vvisht them remoued to further the Gospell 9 The most tyrannous proud Prelates suppresseth the Gospel for them 10 Our soundest Doctors taught against them 10 Our popish Rabbins corrupt Statists plead for them 11 Our faithfull and vnreproued Pastors refuse them 11 All scandalous Non-residents Non-preaching Ministers use them 12 All sincere Professors are offended at them and detest them 12 All popish carnall vvicked haters of God rejoyce in them The Weapons 1 Offending svvord of the Spirit 2 Defending shield of 1 Faith 2 Patience 1 Offending 1 Svvord 2 edges 1 Railing slandering 2 persecuting imprisoning 2 Cannon 1 Excommunicating 2 Suspending 3 depriving of Living Lavv. 4 degrading or deposing 2 Defending by the buckler of authoritie 1 Fathers traditions 2 Mens precepts The Event of the Battell 1 Humiliation in Gods sight 1 Encrease of pride before God and Man 2 Exercise of Christian patience 2 Practise of Antichristian crueltie 3 Tryall of faithfullnesse 3 Discovery of unfaithfulnesse 4 Vnity of faith 4 Endlesse dissentions 5 Increase of loue among themselues 5 Increase of contentions among brethren 6 Godly zeale inflamed 6 Superstitious zeale occasioned 7 Conformity vvith Christ and the godly 7 Conformity vvith Antichrist and Worldlings 8 Peace of conscience 8 Conscience accusing 9 Ioy in suffering 9 Terror in persecuting 10 Furtherance of the Gospell 10 Hinderance of the Gospell 11 Christian liberty maintained 11 Bondage enforced 12 Offences remoued 12 Offences given 13 The elect conuerted 13 The vvicked hardened 14 The truth cleared 14 Papistry cloked 15 Gods blessing on their life labors that vvithstand them 15 Gods iudgments on the hand of them that maintaine them 16 Gods holy name glorified 16 Gods holy name blasphemed 17 Pleasing the godly greiuing the vvicked 17 Grieving the godly pleasing the vvicked 18 Confidence and gladnesse at the judgement day 18 Confusion and trembling before the iudgement seat of God THE DEFENCE OF THE PETITION FOR REFORMATION The Reply to the generall censures CENSVRE 1. IT is inconvenient and unsufferable to permit a long and well-setled state of governement to be so much as questioned Ans First then wherein the state is well-setled we neither make question nor desire alteration but where some wants and imperfections are found which are indeed no parts of our state but blemishes it is neither inconvenient for your Maiestie where you see cause to alter nor unsufferable in us to make question It is both honorable to your Maiestie to supply what is wanting to restore what is decaying to remoue what is offending and we trust not disloyall in us to desire some things to be questioned conferred upon which your M ry in your Christian policie seeth neither to be inconvenient nor insufferable It is an honour for Princes to adde to their predecessors worke as Iosua did to Moses Salomon to Davids Nehemiah to Zorobabels Religion is perfected by degrees and reformation can Religion perfected by degrees Lib. 7. in Luc. hardly be wrought in one age Ambrose saith well Non in principijs perfecta quaeruntur sed à principijs ad ea quae perfecta sunt pervenitur The perfection of things is not sought in their beginnings but men proceed from the beginnings to those things which are perfect The Law Imperiall saith Qui subtiliter factum emendat laudabilior Cod. lib. 1. tit 2. l. 1. Iustinian est eo qui primus invenit Hee that exactly bettereth that which is done deserues more commendation then he who first invented it And as
blame happy were this Church and twice happy shall your Maiesty be to procure it to be such neither is this to calumniate the state to complaine that the Church of Christ is pestered with some usages and offices begunne under Antichrist of the which we are bould to pronounce with our Saviour every plant which Math. 15. 13. my heavenly Father hath not planted shall bee rooted up and according to the rule of the Law Absurdum est ipsa origine rei sublata Cod lib. 7. tit 6. leg 1. Iustine eius imaginem relinqui It is absurd that the thing it selfe being taken away the image therof should bee still remaining Seeing then popish doctrine as the roote and originall is abolished all papall platformes as the shadow should vanish 6. Cens No Church in Christendome is Vntruth 3. able so much to iustifie their abuses as this Many reformed churches goe beyond vs for discipline of ours which are not so heynous as deserue their bitter reprehension Answ Beside also many abuses there are in the execution of Ecclesiasticall lawes and orders as shall afterward appeare 1. VVhich we heartily wish did no more abound in this Church then in some other reformed churches whose example herein we desire to bee followed according to the word of God 2. VVhat if no Church can iustifie all the corruptions abuses crept in Yet everie Church ought to presse foreward unto perfection to follow the Apostles rule to forget that which is behind not to please our selues in our imperfect state and to endevour to that which is before and to follow hard toward the Philip. 3. 13. marke 3. Neither had our brethren of Oxford cause to obiect that the Petitioners Maske under an unknown generality seeing they themselues expresse not their names nor remoue the vaile from thier faces and as for us we conceale not our names as ashamed of the cause but wee forbeare because it is your Maiesties pleasure we should not gather hands to our petition but as Ambrose saith to the Emperour tolle legem fiat certamen Take away the law and let the tryall be made upon even tearme So when it shall please your Maiestie the consent and number of the Ministers and others desiring reformation will soone appeare VVe are able to shew that these abuses are not onely worthy of reprehension which in our petition is done without bitternes according to the 2. Tim. 2. 25. Apostles rule instructing them with meeknes that are contrarie minded but of alteration not onely fit to be repoved but for ever removed we are now to declare the one and we trust your Maiestie in good time will determine the other and we doubt not but that you are resolued with the Cod. lib. tit 6. leg 42. Emperour Iustinian omnia quae pro honore sanctae Ecclesiae ad Dei placitum fieri properamus legibus constituere operibus adimplere desideramus all things which may bee for the good of the Church by your lawes to will and in your works to fulfill The defense of the Preface 1. Obiect They fauour them too much Vntruth 4. Princes titles that were wont to subiect all kings Titles to popular election c. Answ How they which now sue for reformation were before affected to your Wee doe not therein fauor them Maiesties title we appeale to your princely knowledge and who they were that did shew themselues most earnest to haue had the same in Queen Elizabeths time declared is well knowen Our brethren are then to blame to draw those into suspiciō which will not giue place to any of themselues in zealous and loyall affection And what if some otherwise of good parts haue written undutifully of Princes titles doe wee iustifie or favour them therein Vniversitie men brought up in the schooles might remember that from secundum quid to simpliciter the argument followeth not that because we like them in some things we should approue them in all VVe say Pammach Ocean with Hierome non consuevi eorum insultare erroribus quorum miror ingenia 2. Obiect The petitioners by seeking this Vntruth 5. We disturbe not the state and the like dangerous alterations do disturbe the state c. Answ Flatterers are the disturbers of the state not they which desire things amisse to be amended But this hath been alwayes the reward of the servants of Christ that duly sought for redresse to be counted troublesome and busie bodies according to the saying of the Apostle am I become your enemie because I tell you Gal 4. 16. the trueth to the which answereth that common saying Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit flattery maketh friends and verity maketh foes The Prophets did not disquiet the state of Israel but they which Ezech. 13. cried peace peace sowing pollowes under mens elbowes and flattering them in their sinnes saying all is well If other men were as willing to bee reformed as some desire the Magistrate should reforme there need to bee no disturbance at all It is good to haue peace and follow loue but as the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the trueth then shall we rest quietly when we sleepe not upon mens pillowes but in Christs armes as Origen wel noteth on these words Homil 2 in Cantic Cant. 26. his left hand is under my head noli consuere cervicalio vel aliunde capiti requiem quaerere habe sponsi laevam sub capite Sew not pillowes to thine head nor seek rest unto it elswhere get the left hand of the bridegrom put under it 3. Obiect Howsoever in words they decline Vntruth 6. Wee meane as wee write the imputation of factious men c. it is well known in this kingdom and that of Scotland what manner of men they be Answ We meane as we say we wish not the dissolution of the state Ecclesiasticall wee would haue Episcopall labours ioyned with Episcopall honor that they would doe their duty and haue their duty as the rule in law is rationi convenit Reg iur 76 vt succedat in onere qui substituitur in honore that they encroach not upon other mens callings but that they may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 40 chayned with such bondes as may preserue that estate from creeping to corruption If any in Scotland haue beene to forward wee excuse them not yet that whole Church is not to be blamed for some mans fault wherein are many reverend learned and godly pastors as his maiesty hath giuen a princely testimony of them that Pref to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is presently a sufficient number of good men of the ministery in this kingdome Other mens oversightes wee iustifie not neither will answer for their errings if any haue vnduely in their vndiscreete zeale sought for reformation wee prayse them not neither ought it to be a preiudice to moderate proceedings As in our enemies wee condemne
Idolo si in Idoleio recumbere Tertul. de corou milit alienum est à fide quid ni Idolei habitu videre c. Nothing is to be given to the Idol so neither to be taken from the Idol if to sit down in the Idol-temple be strange from the faith why not to bee seen in the Idols habit 2 That simplicity and plainnesse which Christ and the Apostles and the Fathers in the best time of the Church used is fittest and meetest for the ministers of Christ according to that From the beginning it was not so where our Saviour Mat. 19. 8. Christ teacheth us to reduce and bring things backe to their first originall But our Saviour Christ and the Apostles and the Fathers in the best and purest times of the Church had neither cap nor surplice to minister in Therfore that ancient use is fittest to be retained still That Christ and his Apostles Luc. 4. 16. had no ministring garments it appeareth Luk. 4. where our Saviour Christ entred into the Synagogue and stood up to read the minister brought him not a surplice but a book And when Paul and Barnabas entred into the Synagogue and Act. 13. 36. the Ruler sent to them to preach they stood up without any more ado P. Martyr Pet. Mart. clas 4. c. 1. is cleere for this Papists saith hee despise us because wee haue no priestly garments when Christ his Apostles had none neither So likewise Epi. ad Hooper Defence of Apol. p. 401 Walfr de exord in ca. Eccles c. 24 B. Iewel brings authorities to proue it Walafridus and others to shew that the Massing garments came in by little and little So at first men celebrated in common apparrell as certaine of the East Churches are said to doe at this day M. Fox Mart. p. 5. Fox likewise saith That in the Apostles time little regard was had of dayes or meates or apparrell c. And therefore seeing Christ used no distinction of apparell herein wee desire but to bee like our master 3. That which doth not add grace and comelinesse to the ministery of the Gospell but maketh it ridiculous is to be removed But so do the Cap and Surplice it makes the minister of the Gospell ridiculous for first it brings him in like a Popish priest Elias was known to be a 2. King 1. 8. Prophet because he went like a Prophet i. in a Prophets garment so if men would haue the people take us for Ministers of the Gospell why bee wee still apparrelled like Popish priests Secondly this kinde of white apparrell is now grown into disgrace in our Churches because none but harlots that doe penance come so attired into the congregation and therefore seeing the surplice doth not add any grace unto the Minister of the Gospell but maketh him ridiculous it is therefore cleare that it is to be removed 4 That kinde of garment which procureth scruple of conscience to divers that weare it offence to many good Christians that behold it comfort to the Papists that loue it losse to the Church of the labours of many worthy men ought not to be used But such is the surplice as daily experience teacheth Therfore it is not to be used 1. Obj. To leaue every man to his owne Answ to the Petit. p. 11. sect 3. liberty implies confusion Answ No confusion at all for if our brethren will hold them to their owne grounds if the surplice be not urged by Princely authority they may not use it for when the learned man whom they tearme T. C. had demanded why the Bishop Thomas Cartwright Synod Loud anno 1571. cap. de Decanis Doct. Whit. p. 283. in the Synod Anno 1571. had taken away the gray Amice as a garment spotted with superstition and left the surplice which had been more filthily abused in Popery the Reuerend Archbishop replies that the Bishop took it away because it was not established by any law of this land And sith herein in our mind the Bishop did well in it that they will not suffer any rite or ornament to be used in this Church but such onely as are by publike authority established and therefore as we say if they will sticke to their owne grounds if the king do not urge the surplice by law they must not use it 2. Obj. Doe not their own words import Answ to the petit p. 11. that they may bee well used so they bee not urged Answ 1. That they may be used is one thing that they may be well used is another Many things may bee tolerated which cannot be iustified 2. The consequent is not good for if they be not urged by authority then they may not bee used as before is shewed 3. Obj. What is there in the Cap or Surplice Answ ibid. that should offend any man of iudgement Bucer P. Martyr Augustine Calvin Answ Then be like our brethren take all that be offended at the surplice to bee men of no iudgement Rev. Iewel a man as of more learning so of more modestie Defence Apol p. 399. loue confesseth that there were godly learned men that refused the apparell and that they had their grounds and reasons from authoritie to do so and our present Arch. BB. professeth there were some that never received the apparell whom saith ibid. p. 400. Doct. Whit. pag. 289. he I for my part haue alwayes reverenced and do reverence not onely for their singular vertue and learning but for their modestie also Peter Martyr their own author Pet. Mart. ep 3. amico cuidam resolveth that though the surplice may bee tolerated till things become to some stay yet it were much better that it were removed I saith he writing to a friend in England thinke as you doe that these things being indifferent of themselues make not a man either good or bad but as you also thinke so I thinke it more convenient that that garment and many things of that kind cum fieri commode poterit auferuntur i. that when conveniently it may bee done they be removed in the same epistle here quoted I like well saith he if you desire that Christian religion should aspire again to chaste simple purenesse for what should all godly men more wish for and to speak of my selfe I hardly suffer my selfe to be drawn frō that simple pure use which we all long used at Strasburgh where differēce of apparell in regard of the ministrie was taken away that manner as being the plainer and especially savouring of the Apostolike Churches I haue alwayes approved above all others and I pray God that it may be long continued there and wheresoever the Church of Christ is restored it may at length be received and therfore if the matter may passe upon this worthy mans verdict we shall soone agree Hemingius shewes that the ministers Clas 3. c. 16 of the Gospell in these parts utterly refused the
to provide sufficient maintenance for the Chappels as Vrbane the second tooke order in the Placentine Synod Si quae capellae sunt quae suis reditibus c. If there bee any Chappels which are not able by their revenue to maintaine the Clerkes the Rector of the mother-Church shall provide both for the maintenance and Ecclesiasticall duties in the Chappels The like constitution was made Consil Oxoni sub Stephan In singulis parochialibus Ecclesijs c. In every parish church where the Parish is scattered there shall be two or three Presbyters according to the largenesse and ability of the church lest when one is sicke the ordinary duties should be withdrawne Object 3. It hath been permitted by wise and godly Magistrates that haue given way unto it c. Answ 1. If Princes haue given way by their lawes to non-residency forced through the iniquity of times to tollerate that which they could not altogether remoue that doth no more make it lawfull then for the same reason vsury should be approved because in some positiue lawes it hath been in some cases permitted 2. If it hath been in some cases and in some persons permitted and them of best desert this is no excuse for non-residency for most parsons that will and many of them of meane desert and upon small colour and occasion as it is now practised 3. Princes rather and other Magistrates civill and Ecclesiasticall haue by lawes more restrained then permitted non-residency as hath beene declared before arg 10. Obiect 4. That it is absolutely unlawfull c. neither hath beene proved or euer will c. Answ Absence from the flocke for a time upon necessary occasion is permitted both by the Scriptures and by the ancient Canons As 1. for the service of the Church as Paul saith Bring Mark with thee for he is profitable unto me to minister In what case the pastors absence is permitted for a time from his flocke 2. Tim. 4. 11. So Ambrose Paucorum dierum occupatione detentus c. being detayned ā few daies called away by the necessities of another Church I haue been absent from your Assemblies Ser. 28. Pro servitijs Ecclesiae c. A man may bee absent for the seruice of the Church as being present at Councels disputing against heretickes and such like Decret Greg. lib. 3. tit 4. cap. 13. 2. When the flock it selfe doth pursue their Pastor Si quis plebis c. If any man be absent because of the opposition of his people Antioch can 18. In this case Paul shooke off the dust of his feet against the Iewes and turned to the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. But it is not the stubburnesse of a few that should make a man leaue his flock as Augustine excellently sheweth Thou wilt say Feci omnia nihil me video profecisse c. I haue done what I could yet I profit not I would I might rest somewhere else Oh that I had the winges of a doue c. Thus men say Sed plerunque ita ligantur ut volare non possint ligantur non visco sed officio But they are bound they cannot flie not with bird lime but in duty Therefore seeing they cannot forsake their flocke let them say with the Apostle I desire to bee dissolved and be with Christ Aug. in Psal 54. It must not be then the perversnesse of some but the resistance of the whole flocke which should force a man to depart in this case 3. For healths sake the Pastor for a while may be absent as to change the aire or when he is deteyned by sicknesse as Epaphroditus was kept from the Phillippians Phil. 2. 26 27. So Gregory caused one to be restored Qui aegritudinis causa per duorum mensium spacium Ecclesiae defuit which by occasion of sickenesse had been absent two moneths Caus 7. q. 1. cap. 3. As Augustine when he was sicke removed from Hippo. Epist 56. 4. In time of persecution our Saviour alloweth to flee from one Citty to an other Mat. 10. 23. Metu hostilitatis caus 7. qu. 1. cap. 42. But doth it therefore follow if for a time upon those necessary occasions the Pastor may be absent that therefore he may upon an ambitious covetous humor and at his pleasure and that very often or continually absent him selfe Object 5. In what congruity may hee bee counted an idle non resident that is alwaies present in some part of his charge c. Ans And is it enough that a man at some time and in some part of his charge take pains what dawbing is this Then giue a man 10 or 20 Benefices for he may at some time and in some one of them doe a little duty Let us bee ashamed that professe the Gospell to use such cloakes which the Church of Rome hath rejected Later par 29. cap. 6. This is rendered as a reason why one should not haue diverse offices in diverse Churches Quia singula officia quae sunt in Ecclesijs assiduitatem exigunt personarum Euery office in the Church requireth the assiduity of the persons Colon. part 1. cap. 32. Vnus Presbyter per omnes sibi commissas Ecclesias solus nec persolvere potest c. One Presbyter cannot do all the duties in all Churches committed to him Mogant cap. 64. Vnus pluribus Ecclesijs curam impendere necessarium nequit One cannot take care for many Churches Object 6. There are no more intollerable non residents then some c. Ans That some of the Petitioners or such as favour them are intollerable Non-residents are but idle words and are worthy of no answere The Confuters shall never bee able to shew any such thing Object 7. It is impossible as church livings Vntruth Non-residents helpeth not but hinder a learned Ministerie are now allotted that non-residency should not be permitted and yet a learned ministry maintained Princes and Peeres attended upon c. Ans Non residency nourisheth an unlearned Ministry so far is it from maintaining a learned when poore Curates are constrained to serue for small stipends and as the Synod of Collen truly complayned Colouiens sub Alph. med 3 c. 9. Churches are spoiled of their due services Meliores qui laborare in Ecclesia cupiunt excluduntur They which would doe more good in the Church are excluded As though Princes and peeres were not able to maintaine Chaplens to attend upon them but such as liue of their flockes where they labour not It is ambition that draweth such to Princes Courts not any necessary service which is contrary to the Canons Sardicens cap. 8 9 10. Episcopus ambitione magis quam Deo servire si videbitur c. A Bishop rather for ambition then Gods service going to Court must bee depriued yet his Maiesty as reason is may haue to preach before him men of the best gifts without any long absence from their flockes Bernard when Pope Innocent sent for him refused to goe making Epist. 153. his
Ergo seeing a Bishop and Presbyter are the same by the word of God iurisdiction doth of right belong to both Arg. 7. All pastorall duties doe equally belong unto the Pastors but to seperate the pretious from the vile is a Pastorall duty Ier. 15. 19. as it belongeth to the shepheard to seeke that which is lost Ezek 34. 4. that is to reconcile the penitent so also to separate the uncleane to correct the obstinate Augustine saith De corrept grat cap. 15. Pastoralis necessitas habet c. The Pastoral necessity requireth lest the contagion should spread further to separate the diseased sheepe from the sound Ergo it belongeth to Presbyters which are Pastors and haue their flockes Act. 20. 17. 28. to separate ane excommunicate the vile and uncleane Arg. 8. VVhatsoever belongeth to the gathering together of the Saints the work of the Ministery the edifying of the body of Christ is to be performed by the Pastors and Doctors with other Ministers of the Church for to this end hath Christ ordained these offices Ephes 4. 11. But to separate or excommunicate and recoÌ„cile are profitable to the said purposes This authority is given for edification 2. Cor. 10. 8. Ergo it belongeth to the Pastors and Teachers of the Church Arg. 9. The discipline should bee administred by such as are more likely to haue the spirit of direction and to whom with the least perill of the Church the censures might be exercised But an assembly of Presbyters are more like to haue the spirit of Direction as the Apostles and Presbyters assembled in councell saying It seemed good to the holy Ghost and Concil Affrican can 138. epist ad Coelestium to us Act. 15. 28. Thus saith the Councell of Affrican Vnlesse there be any that thinkes God inspireth one particular person with righteousnesse and forsaketh a number of Priests assembled in Synod Again there would arise lesse danger to the Church by this means for there is a rule in the Law Excommunicatus non potest excommunicare he that is excommunicate himselfe cannot excommunicate another caus 24. q. 1. c. 4. But a Bishop or any one Ecclesiasticall person may by many occasions stand under the censure of excommunication In what cases Bishops are liable to the censures of the church as if he haue two wiues caus 24. q. 3. c. 19. or if he bee a teacher of errour hee must bee delivered to Satan caus 24. q. 3. c 13. Pelagius or if he be an usurer caus 14. q. 4. c. 4. or a blasphemer or swearer Carth. 4. cap. 61. or a player at dice. Trullan c. 50. or be negligent in preaching and so continue can Apost 57. or giue orders for money Chalced. c. 2 Or be promoted for money Constant Conc. 6. gener c. 22. or make a lay man his vicar generall Hispatiens 2. c. 9. Or take upon him any civill office as vice-presidentship Iusticiariship Decr. Greg. 3. 58. 4. or sit in causes of bloud or giue sentence for the cutting off of any meber as of ears hands c. ibid. c 5. So writeth Alexander 3. in his rescript to the Bishop of Canterbury But a Bishop or any one man may stand excommunicate where an assembly or company cannot in this case by whom should the discipline be administred Ergo it is safer that the censures of the Church should bee disposed by many then by one Arg. 10. Presbyters by the word of God and practise of the Church are interessed in the spirituall rule and government of the Church but the Excommunication belongeth to the spirituall regiment Ergo For the proofe of the proposition first in the Scriptures wee find that the Apostles called together the Presbyters for the deciding of doubtfull questions and by the Apostle the Elders that labour in the word are made rulers the Elders that rule well especially they that labour in the word 1. Tim. 5. 17. they then that laboured in the word were also ruling Elders for how else should they haue a double honour being excluded from government which is counted one of the greatest honours of the Church Now the practise of the Church is most evident Hier. saith communi presbyterorum concilio Ecclesiae regebantur â—â—â—rom in â— 1. In the beginning Churches were governed by the common advise of presbyters caus 11. q. 3 c. 106. debent 12. sacerdotes Episcopum circumstare c. twelue Priests must stand by the Bisbop when he denounceth excommunication can 108. VVhen the penitent party was to bee reconciled the Bishop must bee assisted with as many caus 12. q. 2. c. 5. The Bishop could not dispose of the temporall things of the Church much lesse of spirituall inconsulto presbyterio not hauing before consulted with his presbitery neither was the assistance of the presbytery for decency and order onely but of necessity Episcopus nullius causam audiat absque praesentia clericorum aliter erit sententia irrita The Bishop shall heare no mans cause without the presence of his Clarks otherwise let the sentence bee voyd Carth. 4. c. 23. Thus it is evident that at the beginning the presbyters did assist the Bishops in the regiment and gouernment of the Church as is confessed also by our learned writers the government of the Church at the first was so apportioned that neither the presbyters should doe any thing without the Bishop Perpetual gover p. 307. nor the Bishop dispose matters of importance without his presbytery D. Fulke thus testifieth it is manifest that the authority of binding Ans to Rhem in 2 Cor. 2. sect 4. and loosing committing and retaining pertaineth generally to all the Apostles alike and to every pastor in his cure Thus was it in the beginning but by little and little in processe of time Bishops began to encroach upon presbyters and their office 1. Bishops had at the first but a priority before their presbyters they were not How Bishops by little and litile encroached upon Presbyters to suffer a presbyter to stand before them Carth. 4. 34. and within doores Collegam se presbyterorum esse cognoscat let the Bishop take himselfe to be the presbyters collegue and fellow but now Bishops are callled Prelats Ministers subditi their subiects 2. As yet the Bishops had no speciall kind of ordayning as differing in order from presbyters as Ambrose saith Episcopi presbyteri una ordinatio there is but one ordination of a presbyter and a Bishop uterque enim sacerdos for they are both but Priests or Ministers in 1. Tim. 3. afterward the Bishops brought in a speciall kind of consecration for themselues 3. Then they went further that whereas in giuing of Orders presbyters were ioyned with Bishops Carth. 4. c. 3. cited before they did assume that office to Hier. Evag. 10. themselues quid facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus c. What doth a Bishop that a Priest cannot doe ordination onely excepted 4. But not contented to stay here
manifest examples of the primitiue Perpet gov p. 406. Church wee striue not for it Answ 1. But why we pray you do you make mention of the Canons of the Church onely and not of the word of God will you haue bishops to haue more authority and Pastors lesse then the word of God alloweth them 2. But we refuse not to debate this matter by the Canons and practise of the Church which notwithstanding hath been in part shewed before argum 10. and shall bee declared further in the answer to the 11. Objection Hierom thus writeth quomodo ibi leprosum sacerdos mundum vel immundū In Mat. ◠16. facit sic hic alligat vel solvit Episcopus presbyter As there under the Law the Priest made the leprous person cleane or uncleane so here the presbyter bindeth or looseth So then as the iudgement and censuring of the leprosie belonged not onely to the chiefe Priests but indifferently to them all He shall be brought to Aaron the Priest or one of his sonnes the Priests Lev. 13. 2. So now the censuring of spirituall leprosie should indifferently belong to all spirituall Pastors Further wee find that presbyters sate together with Bishops and gaue voyces and made decrees not onely in matters which concerne the word and doctrine as we are borne in hand but such as belonged Perpet gov pag. 291. to discipline and excommunication and anathematizing as is evident Concil Eliberrm to the which subscribed 36. presbyters can 52. 62. 67. And in Arelatens 2. can 25. 28. and can * 30. they decree concerning the suspension of Bishops to this Synod subscribed 12. presbyters from hence it is cleare that presbyters assembled in a synod haue power to excommunicate The imperiall Law saith We charge all Bishops and Priests that they separate no Novil constitut 125. c. 11. man from the sacred communion before they shew the cause c. And he that presumeth to excommunicate let him bee put from the communion Thus it was indifferent for Bishops or presbyters to excommunicate Obj. 6. Not in very Church but in every citty there were presbyters assisting and ayding Perpet gov p. 183. the Bishop and these were Clergy men to helpe him in all sacred actions and advise him in all iudiciall and Ecclesiasticall proceedings p. 184. Answ 1. Neither do we urge to haue a presbyterie of Clergy men in everie parish Church but that in every division the presbyters and Pastors should assemble together for the execution of Discipline 2. It being confessed that presbyters in cities haue assisted the Bishop in Ecclesiacall proceedings why then may not the presbyters of country Churches be admitted who are so much the more fit because they are acquainted with the particular diseases in their severall cures 3. The Presbyteries were not onely in great and populous citties neither had the bishops them such large circuits but that one presbytery might suffice for the Cittie and confines thereof for then the bishop had his proper parish Episcopus propriam parochiam non derelinquat Can. Apost 13. his The Bishop had his proper flock proper Church The bishop qui non acquierit ire ad Ecclesiam sibi cōmissam Which did not resolue to goe to the Church committed to his charge should be put from the communion Antioch concil c. 17. hee had his peculiar flock Episcopus grege sibi commissum c. The bishop must instruct the flocke committed unto him with the preaching of the word Turonens sub Carol. Then bishops lived not onely in famous great Citties but in base and obsure townes Episcopus de loco ignobili ad nobilem per ambitionē non transeat A bishop ambitiously must not go from a base and ignoble towne to a noble Carth. 4. can 15. Then bishops had not such a large Diocesse In Augustines time there were in one province under Carthage of the Catholicke Donatist aboue Bishops 9000. Of the Catholicks part there were present 286. and absent 120. by reason of sicknesse and old age Epispall Churches voyd 60. in all 466. Of the Donatists there were present 279. absent 120. Churches voyd 60. in all 459. These so many bishops in one province cannot be thought to haue had Diocesses much larger then some parishes And few bishoprickes haue so many parish Churches under them and none in England unlesse it be Norwich is found to haue more It is no marvell then if one presbyterie with the bishop sufficed for such Diocesses Object 7. Presbyters sate with the bishops at the first as assessors and consenters before Perpet gov p. 317. Synods undertooke such causes Ans 1. The frequenting of Synods was no let to the authority of the presbytery 1. It was a Synod that decreed that Sententia Episcopi c. The sentence of the Bishop should be voyd if it were not confirmed by the sentence of the Clergie Carth. 4. c. 23. 2. From the Nicene Councell to the time of this Synod were assembled in the space of an hundred years and somewhat more twenty provinciall Synods as the Elibortine Arelatens 1. and 2. Gangrens Agrippin Antioch Sardic with others 3. And before this it was decreed that there should be a Synod of bishops twice every yeare Antio c. 20. Constantin 1. c. 2. But after the time of this Synod of Carthage when the authority of the presbytery began to bee impaired it was decreed that bishops should assemble but once in the yeare Toletan 3. c. 18. So that even when Synods were most frequent the presbytery was in greatest authority it began to fail when Synods were not so often celebrated Obj. 8. For our parts though we take the keyes to be common to all that haue pastorall charge of soules in their degree yet to avoyd Perpet gov p. 320. the infinite showers of excommunication c. if every presbyter at his pleasure might excommunicate we praise the wisedome of Gods Church in suffering no inferiour to excommunicate without the Bishops consent c. Answ 1. If by the institution of Christ the administration of the keyes be common to all pastors what presumption is this for men to take upon thē to be wiser then God to change his institution The Esay 40. 13 prophet saith who hath instructed the spirit of God or taught him 2. It is not the wisdom of the Church but the ambition of Bishops that hath excluded the pastors as Diotrephes that loued to haue preeminence would not receive the brethren 3. Neither are Ioh. epist. 3. excōmunications the fewer because one by the Bishops authoritie excommunicateth but the more for there is like to be more grace and discretion in a companie of reverent and learned pastors then in one vnlearned Chancellor or Officiall and the Courts now intend their own gain therefore multiplie excommunications wheras then the profite of mens soules should be expected As though there hath not been long since complaint made of
not that is good so neither in our freinds commend wee that which is euill as he well sayth nec bonis aduersariorum si quid honestum Hierom Pammach Ocean habuerint detrahendum est nec amicorum laudanda sunt vitia 4. Obiect Those men might haue better performed their obedience to God c what are these men they should assume so much Answ 1. wee haue assumed nothing Iust cōplaints not disloyall which becommeth not good subiects to lay open our complaynts to our gracious Soveraigne as the members send vp their greifes to the head 2. Neither doe wee seeke to abuse the Clergie but to honor them when wee desire they might in everie congregation shine as lampes both in life and doctrine 3. VVhat greater obedience to God then to bee found faithfull what better service to his Maiesty then to acquaint him with the wants of that body wherof he is the head what truer loue to the Church then to desire her perfection 4. VVee trust his Maiesty counteth it no trouble to heare his honest subiects complaynts as by his owne princely words wee are incouraged weary not to heare the complaints of the oppressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 92. aut ne Rex sis Preachers and ministers that humblie sue for redresse trouble not the Church but idle non residents dumb ministers couetous pluralists are the men which are setled in their dregges and will not haue their sowre lees drawne forth As for vs wee blesse God for our externall peace and heartily desyre the true internall peace that we may be all according to the Apostles rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 15. following the truth in loue and louinge in the truth and so we say with Hierome ad Theoph vnto our brethren that seeme to stand so much upon peace and quietnesse nihil grande est voce pacem praetendere opere destruere c. it is nothing to pretend peace in word and destroy it indeed VVee also would peace and we wish not onely but entreat peace the peace of Christ true peace pacem quae not ut adversarios subijciat sed ut amicos iungat such peace which may not subdue us as enemies but ioyn us as friends 5. Obiect They must prooue that those Vntruth 7. These are the peccant humors are the peccant humours of the Church which in truth is the least peccant of any other c. Ans 1. If these such like be not the Who come neerest the Catharsts peccant humors in the body of the Church there are none at all thus these men seem to come neerer to the Puritans Catharists then those whom they in their answer haue traduced that acknowledge all things pure in the Church and no thing amisse how farre are they from redressing that are so farre of from confessing their wants Ambrose well saith sensus vulneris est sensus vitae the sense of griefe is the sense of life 2. VVe wish even in our hearts it were as they say that our Church were least peccant in the world then should we haue no contention about humane rites Non-residents dumbe ministers Commendams faculties abuse of Excommunication and such like which are strange in other reformed Churches 3. Reverend Bishop Iewel where he saith we are come as neere as possibly we could to the Church of the Apostles neither meaneth How we are come neere the Apostles the abuses and peccant humors of our Church which he would never haue iustified nor yet all the ceremonies for else were he alledgeth out of Valafridius Abbas that in the beginning the cōmunion was ministred without any difference of apparrell and sheweth that it was so in Hieroms time defence Apol. 401. Neither yet doth hee meane that the discipline of the Primitiue Church is exactly restored for the booke it selfe confesseth that the godly discipline of the Primitiue Church is now wanting and besides In the commination hee sheweth in this place wherein the Church of England is departed from the Church of Rome which is not in the administration of discipline received from them and else where he reproveth Harding Defenc. apol 41. for saying Christ and his Apostles never ruled the Cburch in better order then it is now ruled by the Pope his Cardinais Our brethren say as much in effect that it is ruled as well by Bishops VVherefore his meaning must needes be that in doctrine and in the substance of the Sacraments we are come neere it and for the rest as neere as possibly we could that is as the times would permit and suffer And we desire our brethren to tell us in good sooth whether in the Primitiue Church of the Apostles the crosse in Baptisme the surplice in the Communion were used whether they read of any Chancellours officials c. Non-residents dumbe Ministers in those times It is all we desire that the discipline of our Church may be reduced to the forme of the Apostles government Lastly haue our brethren no more chariry then to wish that the petitioners whom they untruely call unquite and mal-contended humors were purged out of the land If they proceed on in such wishes they will giue us cause to complaine as Hierome doth of an uncharitable adversarie of his talibus institutus Apol. 3. advers Ruf. es disciplinis ut cui respondere non poteris caput auferas linguam quae tacere non potest seces You haue learned that whom you cannot answer his head you would chop off and cut out the tongue that you cannot silence but we wish better unto them with the Apostle if yee bee otherwise minded that God would reveale it unto you in his good time 6. Obiect To subscribe to that in respect Of subscription upon protestation c. of the times which in it selfe is vnlawfull proveth little lesse then hypocrisie c. Answ In these petitioners which subscribed to the booke in which terme is no disdaine at all there was neither dishonesty nor hypocrisie so to doe although they simply allow it not 1. They subscribed with protestation some with condition other some upon expositions giuen them which is no meere falsity but a cleere verity as some of our Bishops and their Registers do know and some of the subscribers are able to shew Fox p. 118. But this argueth no sincerity say our brethren VVhat would they then haue said of Reverend Cranmer who was sworne to the Pope upon protestation acknowledging his authority no further then it Zanch. Miscel p. 35. agreed with the expresse word of God Or what would our brethren haue thought of Zanchius that with some exceptions and interpretations subscribed to certaine Lutheran points of doctrine who aledgeth the iudgmēt of Calvin in the same matter to Gulielmus Holbracchus likewise urged by the Lutherans to subscribe praecise ut recuses non cōsulo c. nunc ergo exceptiones interponere necesse est quae
te molestia liberēt I giue not counsell precisely to refuse c. but to put in exceptions which may ease you Supplic ad Senat. Arg. of trouble Hereupon Zanchius saith se sincero pacis concordiae studio adductum subscripsisse that hee subscribed beeing thereunto moved of a sincere desire of peace But the subscribers case is far more equall and reasonable who upon protestation expositions c. subscribed not to suspicious doctrines but to certain superfluous rites 2. Because they were loath to depriue the Church of their labours and forsake their flockes for these matters which are though inconvenient yet not of the substance of Religion and hereunto agreeth the canon utilitatis intuitu quaedam in Ecclesia Caus 1. q. 7. tolerantur Thorough the shew of profitablenesse some things are tollerated in the Church The Petitioners then subscribing did not therein allow these ceremonies as profitable seeing the state intended a greater perfection howsoever it was hindred as may appeare by the statute set before the booke of Common prayer the words are these Such ornaments c. of the Ministers shal be retained till other order shal be therein takē And the book it selfe in the Cōmination aimeth at the restoring of the Discipline of the prim Church 3. And herein by subscription to tolerate Subscription of some excused things not apparantly impious for a time But now there is no reason that subscription which was yeelded to the necessity of time should either preiudice the subscribers according to the Canon temporum necessitate perfecta hac ratione ad veniam Caus 1. q. 7. c. 13. pertinere decernimus quod gestum est what the necessity of the time required in reason ought to be pardoned or hinder the reformation according to the like Canon quod necessitas pro remedio reperit c. that which Caus 1. q. 7. c. 7. necessitie found for a remedie when the necessity is removed must cease also that which is urged for a due and orderly course is one thing that which by usurpation for the time is enforced another Lastly some of the subscribers are now of another iudgment and see more into the cause then they did before and doubt not to say with Hierome imitati estis errantem imitamini correctam You haue followed him that erred be you followers of him that hath corrected his error And could wish that this vinculum subscriptionis as Ambrose calleth it in another case were dissolved as Eusebius Vercellon caused Dyonisius subscription but in an harder case to bee razed out Any of these reasons will free the petitioners subscribers from this uncharitable imputation of Hipocrisie and dishonesty 7. Obiect The Church of England had Vntruth 8. We condemn factious Sermons c. beene happy if it had not beene troubled with their factious sermons c. Answ VVe mislike factious Sermons scurrile pamphlets as much as these censurers of Oxford and some of their frends favorits are not free from the imputation of both The painfull labours of the ministers Painful Preachers not factious petitioners in the Church of England both by preaching and writing are well knowne And though the rule hath beene better no preachers then such as desired reformation therfore miscalled factious yet this is our comfort to say with the Apostle in the declaration of the truth wee approue our selues to euerie mans 2. Cor. 4. 2. conscience in the sight of God and herein wee say agayne with the same Apostle wee passe very little to be iudged of you or of 1. Cor. 4. 3. mans iudgment beeing sory that you thus account of the freinds of the gospell as of enemies and cannot endure the lovers of the truth which you professe to loue And so as Augustine sayth res multum dolenda miranda contingit c. A strange Tractat. in Ioan. and heauy thing often falls out that the man whome wee take to bee vniust and yet he is iust louing in him iustice which wee know not wee hate hominem bonum tanquam malum affligamus and afflict a good man as though he were evill 8. Obiect The number of more then a Vntr. 9. It is not a vizard There are not so few godly Preachers that wish reformation thousand is but a vizard c. Answ The number of more then a thousand is no vizard as theirs is that mask vnder the name of the heads of the vniversity yea of all the learned and obedient of the clergie as the title sheweth whereas we know there are diuers hundred of learned obedient sober discreet preachers in the vniuersities other places of the Church that neyther like nor allow their proceedings herein As at the passing of that grace in Cambridge whereof our brethren make mention in their epistle there was not present the third part of the vniuersity that gaue voyces nor one Doctor of diuinity besides the Vice Chancellor as we are credibly enformed Let them first pull of their vizard and shew themselues they should not obiect that to others which it seemeth they are ashamed of to professe their names Therefore wee may apply Augustines wordes a-against them conferamus de medio si placet Lib. 1. cont Iulian. ista communia c. let us leaue these common matters which may be said of each side though not truly of each side 2. How can that be a Christian cōmendable church government under Chancellors Officials Cōmissaries Registers Proctors Sumners which is the same in the forme nothing altered the supremacy onely and dependancy of the Pope excepted with that now used and practised in the Antichristian and papall sinagogue Therefore to this untrue assertion wee returne no other but Hieromes answer Non necesse habet vinci Ep. ad Ctepant quod sua statim professione falsum est That needeth no refutation which appeareth false in the very relation 3. The humble Petitioners haue done nothing malitiously or iniuriously we wish that they which thus censure them were as farre from both Hierome could haue told them non facilis est venia prava dixisse de rectis Pardon for Hierom. Asellae speaking evill of that which is good is not easily obtained Thus men for their conscience and unfained loue unto the Church of Christ are loaden with the reproach of sedition presumption dishonesty hypocrisie scurrility malice iniury c. A likely matter that such pleaders haue a good cause in hand when they begin their plea with such intemperate and uncharitable stuffe therein committing the same fault which Origen obiecteth Lib. 7. cont Cess to his adversarie Philosophus iste cum nos instruere velit calumnatur c. this Philosopher when he should instruct us raileth when in the beginning a wise Orator should shew himselfe friendly toward his Auditors And thus end their censures upon the preface THE DEFENCE OF THE FIRST PART OF THE PEtition concerning Church service 1.
Against the Crosse in Baptisme 1. THE Sacraments are to be preserved in that simplicity and purenesse wherein Iesus Christ hath left them to the Church So S. Paul saith I haue received of the Lord that which 1. Cor. 11. 23. I delivered unto you S. Paul so great an Apostle innovated nothing but delivered that onely which he had receiued And this is the Lords own charge ye shall put no thing thereto nor take ought ther from therefore Cyprian saith well neque aliud fiat a nobis Deut. 12. 32 Cyp. lib. 2. Epist. 3. quam quod pro nobis dominus prior fecit We may not do any other thing in the ministration of the sacraments then the Lord himselfe hath done before us But Iesus Christ commanded onely to baptize with water in the name of the Father of the Son of the H. Ghost not to signe with the signe of the crosse Mat. 28. 19. The commission is Go and baptise wash with water And this the disciples observed here is water what doth let but that I Act. 8. 36. 38. may be baptised and they went both into the water he baptised him Philip did no more Peter Martyr is cleare for this The Peter Martyr loc com 4. c. 9. word and the water saith he make the sacrament the other things which were added after came from the B B. who where too much addicted D. Fulke in Rhem. Test. Luk. 44. 50 to ceremonies D. Fulk likewise speaking of the signe of the crosse saith it can not be a convenient memoriall of Christ because Christ commanded it not Therefore the crosse in baptisme departing from the simplicitie and plainnesse of our Lord Iesus institutioÌ„ is to be reiected 2. If the crosse be superstitious and popish in the one sacrament then it cannot be convenient nor Christian in the other according to the rule de similibus similiter iudicandum In the like case the like iudgement is to be passed which our Saviour Christ useth But in the sacrament of the supper the crosse was taken by the church of Eng. to be superstitious and popish and therefore Math. 12. 3 Aug. tract 108. in Ioan Missal Rom. extruded though some of the Fathers and the Popish Church had brought it in before Therefore by the same rule the crosse in baptisme should haue been removed also 3. That which hath been idolatrously abused in popery and hath no necessarie use in Gods Church ought to bee removed As Ezechiah pulled down the brasen 2. Reg. 〈◊〉 serpent because the people made and Idol of it This hath been the iudgement of The Church Tertullian shewes at large Tertul. de coron Milit. then when things indifferent haue been abused by Pagans Idolaters Christians may not use them unlesse they haue Gods warrant for them And Augustine shewes Aug. epist. 86. ad casul Iewel defen of Apol. p. 441. distinct 63. quia sancta that the Church of Christ left to fast upon the Lords day because the maniches had taken up that day to fast on worthy Iewel shewes many examples of the like Nay the very Popes law resolveth thus that if some of our praedecessours haue done those things which were well in their times and yet afterward they be turned into errour and superstition they must without any delay be reformed But the crosse hath been Idolatrously Whit. cont Bell. descrip c. 6. Raâ—n confut 586. Bellar. lib. de sacr author apud Aug. sect 59. abused in poperie as our best writers shew yea the verie crosse in baptisme to bee a defence and muniment against the Devill de Cons distinct 4. postea c. Therefore there being no necessarie use of it in the Church of God it ought to be removed 4. It is not lawfull for any either man or Angell to add any thing to the substance Gal. 3. 15. of the sacrament For as well they might ad to the tenure of the Covenant as add to the seale whereby it is confirmed But the adding of the crosse in baptisme is an addition to the substance Therfore it is not lawful for any to do it The assumption or second proposition is proved thus To add a sacramental signe to the sacrament is to add to the substance of it But the crosse in baptisme is made a sacramentall signe signa saith S. Augustine cum adhibentur ad res sacras significandas sacramenta vocantur Signes when they Aug. epist 5. are used to signify Sacred things are called Sacraments But the crosse in baptisme is taken up to signifie a holy thing namelie our constant profession in Christ that we shall not be ashamed to confesse Christ The sacrameÌ„t of baptisme robbed of his signification and the same attributed to humane invention viz. the Crosse Aug. Epist. 119. c. 18. crucified and to fight under his banner c. And so by consequence it is an addition or substance of a sacrament which is utterly unlawful Augustine shewes the care of the Church in his time this way epi. ad Ianuar. where speaking of washing of feet which was used of some when they came to be baptized Multi hoc in consuetudine recipere noluerunt ne ad ipsum baptismi sacr crederetur pertinere nonnulli de consuetudine auferre non dubitarunt Many would not receiue into use and many tooke it away where it was used lest it should seeme to belong to the very Sacrament of Baptisme So religiously carefull were they lest they might seeme to make any addition to the sacrament 1. Obiect The Crosse in Baptisme is a most Answ to the petition p. 11. ancient ceremony Ans To say it is ancient it is too much but say it is most ancient is most untrue Mea antiquitas est Iesus Christus my antiquty Ign. epis 6. is Iesus Christ saith Ignatius the blessed Martyr Now who knows not that to use no crosse in baptisme is more ancient then to use the crosse And therfore if the Lords rule may hold ask enquire for the Ier 6. 16. old way for that is the good way or that of Tertul. quodcunque primum id utique verum That which was frst that is the truest it Tertull. de prescript must needs bee better to baptize with no crosse as Christ and his Disciples did rather then with the crosse as some haue done in later time But a little to search the antiquitie of it we must first agree what crosse it is which wee so oppugne and our brethren stand for To crosse the water in baptisme or to crosse the child in baptisme To crosse the water is superstitious though the Fathers liked it and therefore the Church of England hath removed it To crosse the childe in baptisme hath not one authority in all antiquity that wee can read of In Iustin Martyrs time there was no Iust. apol 2. Tertul. de coron Milit. D. Rain confer p. 581. such thing In Tertullians
time Christians began to Crosse themselues with the signe of the crosse but it was not yet crept into the sacraments as a learned writer hath well observed for in his booke de Corona Militis where he mentioneth other ceremonies that were used in baptisme as milke honey c. he makes no mention of the crosse And lib. de Baptis entreating professedly of this sacrament Tert. de bapt and the ceremonies of it he hath not one tittle of the crosse In Chrysostomes time Chrys hom quod Christus sit Deus the crosse was crept further as all superstition will winde up like Ivy In sacra mensa c. crux fulget In the holy Supper the crosse appeares in his glory but yet Aug lib. 1. confess c. 11. de symb ad Cateches l. 4. c. 10. it was not impressed in the foreheads of such as were baptised In Augustines time the Catechumeni were signed with the signe of the crosse before baptisme but no such signe was used when they came to be baptized and therefore unlesse better authority can be brought then wee know of or Popish Bellarmine either Bellar. lib. 2. imag c. 29. who hath raked all corners to helpe himselfe we thinke the crosse in baptisme will be faine to fetch his pedigree out of the Popes Masse booke if happily it be able to deduce it thence 2 Obj. We must needes haue some ceremonies in the administration of the Sacrament why then not the crosse Answ VVe grant that some ceremonies may be used but if all be used why then not creame oyle salt and spittle c. Lumb 4. dist 3. for the Papists make but ceremonies of those And therefore it doth not follow some ceremonies may be used therefore the crosse in baptisme may be used It is evident then that there must be a choyce VVell let us see what must be the rule The ceremonies that must be used must haue three conditions 1. They must be such as serue for comelinesse and order sake as the Apostle saith Let all things he done comely and in order 1. Cor. 14. 40. But the crosse in baptisme is not such for if it make a Decorum in the Sacrament then Christ and his Apostles and all the reformed Churches of Geneva Scotland France Helvetia Belgia Poland c. that use it not must cōmit an Indecorum which were absurd to affirme Thus Peter Pet. Mart. class 4. c. 9. Martyr disputes against the schoolemen who affirmed that the word and water Pet. Mar. clas 4. c. 9. were of the essence of baptisme but the rest that were added oyle c. did facere ad honestatem decorum Sacramenti make to the honesting and adorning of the Sacrament Admit this saith he then it will follow that Iohn and Christ and the Primitiue Church hath baptized indecently disorderedly c. Quia eorum baptismus istis omnibus carebat Because their baptisme wanted all these things 2. The Ceremonies must not be scandalous and offensiue especially to our 1. Cor. 10. 32. brethren and to Gods Church but the crosse is offensiue and scandalous both to other Churches that account it a prophanation Szedig loc comm p. 169. of baptisme and to godly and good men at home among our selues yea M. Calfeild saith against the Papists that to crosse with the finger is both an idle ceceremony and unlawfull to Calf in answ Pet. Mart. loc cit to the treatise of the crosse art 2 p. 49. 3. They must not be idle and needlesse ceremonies but to such onely as be needfull See the whole Senate of the Apostles conclude in their councell It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us to Act. 15. 28. lay no burthen upon you praeter necessaria haec beside these necessary things but the crosse in baptisme is not necessarie either ad esse to the being or bene esse to the wel being of the Sacrament not ad esse the very papists confesse nor ad bene esse because the Sacrament may be well enough Lumb ut supra without it as the very booke confesseth in private baptisme where no crosse is used yet the minister is prescribed to say I certifie you that ye haue done well and according Common booke cap. of priuat bapt to due order c. though they haue not crossed VVherfore most Noble King 1. seing the crosse in baptisme is a departing from the plaine simple institution of our Saviour Christ 2. Seing it is thrust out of the other Sacrament to which it had as good right as to this 3. Seing it was idolatrously abused in popery hath no necessary use now 4. Seing it encroacheth upon the very substance of the Sacr. 5. Seing it is but a late device hatched by the Pope 6. seing it is not a ceremonie pertaining to the decencie of a Sacrament 7 seing it is scandalous and offensiue to many good Christians both preachers and people Lastly seing it is an idle and needlesse ceremonie and so not warranted either in genere or in specie either in generall or in speciall termes as all the true worship of God must be we most humbly beseech Deu. 4. 2. 5. 32. your highnesse in the loue you haue to preserue the Sacraments of the Lord Iesus in such puritie as he hath left them that you will doe as good K. Ezekiah did who cleansed the house of God and caried 2. Chr. 29. 16 out the filth of it into the brooke Cedron 2 Against Interrogatories in Baptisme 1. TO utter an untrueth in such a place in such a presence in such an action so serious cannot be but a great and greevous sin according to that thou hast not lied to men but to God But to say as the book prescribeth in the Act. 5. 4. Com. Book cap. of Bapt. name and behalfe of the infant that it beleeues al the articles of the faith that it desires to be baptized into the faith of Christ is a great untrueth because the little infant neither beleeueth nor desireth any such like thing Nay as Augustine saith Aug. Epist cap. 7. quando ijs Christiana gratia subvenitur vocibus quibus possunt motibus reluctantur they shew themselves unwilling to bee baptised Therefore to affirme this It cannot be but a great and greevous sin 2. That which giveth strength to errour and heresie in Christian wisdom ought to bee avoided according to that non pones scandalum coram caeco Thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before the blinde Leu. 19. 14. But to affirme that the child beleeveth all the articles of the Christian faith is to giue strength to their errour that thinke Rom. 10. 17 Aug. ep 57. children haue faith which indeed they haue not as both the Scripture sheweth and the Fathers Therefore in Christian discretion and wisdom this occasion of errour is to be avoided 3. If the Infant be to be baptized into
thing 2. To bring in a new sacrament besyde those two which Iesus Christ hath ordayned is utterly vnlawfull But confirmation as it is prescribed by the booke is made a new sacrament beside those two which Iesus Christ ordained therefore confirmation as it is prescribed by the booke is utterlie unlawfull The assumption or second proposition is proued thus That which is made an outward signe and seale to assure of Gods loue and favour that is made a sacrament in most proper sense as both the scriptures shew and our own articles of religion defining Rom. 4. 11. Arti. relig 25. the sacraments to be sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and of Gods goodwill to us but the imposition of BB. hands is made a signe to assure us of Common booke c. of confirm Gods favour and gracious goodnesse to us so be the words of the book therefore it is made a sacrament in most proper sense But this is unlawfull and therefore this kind of confirmation is unlawfull yet the poore ministers of Christ were urged and enioyned under most greevous penalties to subscribe to all 3 That which is the generall duty of all the ministers of the Gospell ought not to be made the particular duty of some few of them But to confirme Christians in the faith of Christ is the generall duty of all the 2. Thess 3. 2 Ezek 34. 4 Eph. 4. 12. 13. Hier. ad luci ministers of the Gospell as appeareth by the Scriptures Therfore it ought not to be made the particular duty of some few of them Hierome saith plainly of confirmation by BB. disce hanc obseruationem potius ad honorem esse sacerdocij quam ad legis necessiatē Know that this order is rather for the honor of priesthood then necessity of Law Object 1. It can not be amisse that BB. pray over the children Answ 1. To thinke the BB. prayers be more holy then any other mans is superstitious the scriptures tell vs that if any man be a worshipper of God the Lord heareth Act. 9. 31 him be he BB. or preacher 2. they do not onely pray ouer them but impose hands upon them that by means therof they may com book c. of Confir receiue strength against all the tentations of sinne which is to take that power to them which the Lord neuer gaue them contrarie to that which is written No Io. 3. 27. man can receiue any thing unlesse it bee given him from aboue Obj. It is meete that such as bee baptized make open profession of their faith that it may appeare how they haue profited and that they may be further confirmed therein Ans All this may be done without any such ceremonie by diligent catechizing 1. Pet. 22. Act. 20. 32. and teaching in every congregation and if there needed any confirmation who are more fit to do it then the pastor of every congregation who best knoweth the profiting of his sheep 4. Against baptizing by women HEre we both agree in the doctrine that women ought not to baptize Our brethren say fieri non debuit women should not haue taken upon them Answ to the petition p. 11. s 2. to baptize but yet exception is taken to our speach Exception The book of common prayer doth not prescribe that baptisme should be administred Answ ibid. by women Answ Yea but if the booke permit it though it do not prescribe it it is more then true divinitie will warrant Now whether the booke seeme not to encline that way let it be considered by these reasons 1. By the booke the Priests and Curats are commanded to warne the people that without great necessity they baptize not children at home in their houses and when great need shall compell them so to doe that then they minister it on this fashion 2. This same they they that minister it is a relatiue therfore if they look back to to find the antecedent what will meete us but they whom the Priests and Curats warned not to baptize their children at home but they whom the Priests and Curats warned not to baptize their children at home were the people yea the vulgar people not ministers and therefore they that be permitted by the booke to baptize bee the people yea the vulgar people 3. If the chyld liue it is to be brought to the church by order of the booke and there the minister is to examine who baptized it which were a folly if the minister had done it himselfe and further with what words it was baptized which were as fond if it were baptized by an ordinary minister of our Church 4. The booke prescribeth no more but that they that be present call uppon God and use the right forme N. I baptize thee c. so that these two things bee observed by the midwife or whosoeuer present the minister is to certifie them by order of the booke that they haue done well and according to due order 5. The child is supposed by the booke to be baptized by such as happily knew not what they did in that great feare and trouble of mind but such as be so greatly feared and troubled at such times be not the ministers who haue nothing to do in those actions but the wiues and such as be present at such times therefore they bee not ministers but the people yea the very women that bee permitted to baptise in such times of necessity VVherefore most noble king Seeing the booke seemeth to carry this sense and Math. 28. 9. to warrant that which the word of Christ never approved VVe most humbly entreat that it may bee either quite remooved or better explained 5. Against the Cap and Surplice 1. THE Massing garments in poperie bee no fit garments for the ministers of the Gospell according to that charge of the Lord you shall pollute Is 30. 22. the coverings of the images and the rich ornaments c. and say unto it get thee hence and againe hate even the garment spotted by the Iude. 21. flesh Hence it was that Iacob when hee reformed the idolatrie of his houshould Gen. 35. 2 he made them also to change their garments But the surplice is one of the massing garments in poperie as both the Protestants Fox martir p. 501. 853 and popish writers shew M. Fox for the Protestants who declares that when a Popish Priest was to bee degraded they took away the surplice from him as one of his priestly garments For the Papists Innocentius and Durandus who bring in the popish Priest so apparelled to his Innoc. myst miss lib. 1. c. 10. Duran lib. 3. c. 1. in rationall Masse therefore it is no fit garment for the ministers of the Gospell Tertullian confirmes this reason shewing that Christians ought not in outward things to conforme themselues unto Idolaters no not in wearing a garland of flowres Nihil saith he dandum est Idolo sic nec sumendum ab
the one shall not understand the other 10. Against longsomnesse of Service THat which serveth to the most edification and building up of the people of God that must especiallie be 1 Cor. 14. 4 5. Act. 20. 32. Eph. 4. 12. regarded in the Church assemblies But preaching doth much more edifie and build vp the people of God then this same long seruice Therefore it must rather bee respected Ambrose sayd well vpon these words let Ambr. in 1. Cor. 14 them speake by two or three viz. Ne occuparent diem linguis loquentes eorum interpretes non haberent tempus prophetae Scripturas discernendi qui sunt totias Eccl. illuminatores Let not them speak witb tongs and their interpreters take up the day so that the Prophets which are the light of the whole Church haue no time to open the Scriptures 2. It is a rule in divinitie that of two good duties if a man cannot doe both in Math. 12. 7 christian wisdome he must do the better So the Lord sayth I will haue mercie and not sacrifice And the Apostle sayth Christ 1. Cor. 1. 17. sent me not to baptize but to preach Now which of these two is the better we meane not in it self but in regard of the edification of Gods Church Let the scriptures decide Come let us go up to house of the Lord. And for what especially Is 2. 3 and cheiflie Ipse docebit nos vias suas the especial end is to know the wayes of God Bucer vpon these words sayth Precipuum opus indicatur veri christiani coetus sincera Lib. 1. de reg Christ c. 3. doctrina eius prompta obedientia The principall work of the true Christian congregation is noted to be sincere doctrine the ready obedience thereof See Gratians glosse Grat. 1. 9. 1. sect Interrogo Therefore seing preaching is the better when a man either through weaknes of body or want of tyme cannot do both wee take him bound to doe the better .i. to preach to the people 3. That which maketh the minister vnfitt to preach and the people vnfit to heare is to be amended But so doth the Opus tripart lib. 3. c. 1. same long and tedious service opus tripart In many Churches they read so long as scarsely any heareth all and if any stay there they commonly fall a sleepe bonum ergo fuit ut ita temperatae lectiones legantur in matutini ut fragilitas humana prae taedio non recedat Synod It was good that the lessons should be read in that order in morning prayer that mens frailty bee not wearied with Synod Ang. c. 8. the tediousnesse Augustine saith ut nimia festinatio in missae lectione religiosas aures offendit ita incongrua prolixitas fastidium generat me diocritatem igitur commendamus As the hudling in reading the masse offendeth the ears so excessiue tediousnesse is irckesome whereas a mean between botb is commendable Therefore this abuse ought to bee amended 1. Obiect This well befits these mens great devotion Answ If this argue want of devotion Answ to the pet p. 12. sect 6. in us to abridge the longsomnesse of Church service for preaching then surely the Doctors and Proctors and heads of houses in Oxford want devotion among whom no thing is more usuall in their Colledges then to abridge the prayers to go to S. Maries to the sermon 2. Againe this is such divinity as we never heard of to place all devotion in long prayer the Pharisees were Luc. 21. 47 Aug. de heres c. 57. Math. 6. 9. of this mynd and Enchits of old and the Monks and friers of late But our Saviour Christ belike measured devotion by some other rule who taught his disciples so short a prayer The humble publican said Luc. 11. 13 no more but this God bee mercifull to mee a sinner Platina writes of the Apostles that they did consecrare ad solam dominicam So Gregor lib. 7. epist 63. orationem he means they had no other set prayer then the Lords prayer VVhat shall we think they wanted devotion also Augustine writes of the religious men in Egipt dicuntur fraters in Egipto crebras quidem Epist 121. habere orationes sed eas tamen brovissimas raptim quodammodo iaculatas The Religious men in Egipt are sayd to haue frequent prayers but the same very short and as it were by sudden ejaculations This we speak Ast. 13. 15. On S. Michaels day the epist is Rev. 12. 7. there was a batell in heaven Michael c. as if this Michael fighing for the church were not Christ but an Angell p. 12. s 7. not to condemne long prayer when occasion serveth but to shew that even they that use shorter praiers may be devout 3. Beside all that we desire to be abridged is not prayer but a number of Scriptures unhandsomly shredded and pared from the rest many times neither fitly sorted as the lectures of the law and Prophets were nor truly applied to the present purpose 2. Obiect Some of these preachers spend almost an boure in senslesse and inconsequent prayer Answ 1. If devotion be measured by our bretherns rule then belyke those men be full of devotion for they pray long 2. If some spend the time in sencelesse and inconsequent prayer what doth this preiudice those faithfull and good teachers that spend it better 3. Obj. From this dislyke of all set and stinted frome of prayer c. Ibid. Ans Doe the Petitioners dislyke all set and stinted forme of prayer doe they Vntruths diuerse condemne the saying of the Lords prayer doe they refuse to vse it who told them so In the beginning of their booke they say wee maske vnder vnknowne names and yet now they can tell that we dislyke all set stinted form of prayer that some of vs omit the Lords prayer and some of vs refuse to vse it these be the strangest men wee haue heard of who though they know not a man nor his dwelling nor his country yet they can tell what prayers he vseth in his Church Nay they can tell his secret thoughts that though he vse the comunion book yet he disliketh all set and stinted kind of prayers But that our brethren would willingly blindfould themselues to traduce us they might haue well conceived by our words that wee dislike not all kind of set prayer because we desire not to haue the service removed but to haue it abridged VVherefore most noble King 1. seing preaching serveth most to the edification of the Church 2. Seing when both cannot be done the long prayer and the preaching it is Christian wisdom to do the better 3. Seeing the practise of both our Vniversities giues liberty this way 4. Seing nothing but mockes and untrue tales be opposed against it wee must renew our humble suite to your highnesse that the long and tedious service bee abridged where there bee preachers
that bee able with their faithfull and godly laboures to take up the time better 11. Against the abuse of Church songs and Musick VVHETHER our brethren yeeld to this or no we know not they haue so pleased themselves in a conceit of our moderation and the kings great devotion as they terme it in hearing the Organs that they forget to tell us their resolution therefore wee will iustifie the equitie of our request 1. In the Church of God nothing ought to bee done but that which serues to edification this is Pauls rule 1. Cor. 14. 26. But the Church Musick and songs as they bee now used in Cathedrall Churches and some Colledges with Organes and descant foreward and backward serue not to edification Therefore it ought not to be permitted in the Church of God The assumption or second proposition is proved thus If the Latine seruice in poperie served to no edification because the greatest part understood not that which was spoken then also this theatricall musick wherein the greatest part understand no thing serveth so Aug. terms it in psal 32. com c. 1. Class 3. c. 13 s 29. to as little Peter Martyr one of their own authors approveth this nec iure potest saith he retineri fracta illa Confragosa musica qua ita detinentur astantes ut verba etiamsi velint percipere minimè queant That broken and chaunting Musicke by which the standers by cannot though they would understand the meaning of the words ought not to be retained And so euen popish Aquinas Aquin. 22. qu. 91. art 2 huiusmodi musica instrumenta magis animum movent ad delectationem quam per ea formetur interius bona dispositio These musicall Iustruments doe rather affect the mind with delight then further any good dissposition in him And therefore as he saith the Church used not them Consil Aquisgran Cōci Aquis con 137. Decreed well Psalmi in Ecclesia non cursim excelsis inordinatis aut intemperatis vocibus sed plane dilucide cum compunctione cordis recitentur ut cantantium mens illorum dulcedine pascatur audientium aures pronunciatione demulceantur Let not the Psalmes in the Church be hurried over or sung with loud and strained throats but plainely and distinctly with feeling of the heart so as both the minde of the singer may bee fed with the melodie and the eares of the hearers refreshed with the words 2. That which draweth downe the mynde from meditation and heavenlie contemplation to sensuall and carnall delyte is not fit to be vsed in the house of God where all our affections are rather to be mounted and to be lifted vp But soe doth the same light and theatricall kind of musicke Therefore it is not to be vsed in the Church of God This reason hath both protestant and popish writers to approue it Peter Martyr saith Loc. cit If wee should see at this day Christian people runne to the Church as it were to a theater to delyte themselues with musike and songs as they daylie do at Paules church when the Organs and the anthems be sung abstinendum potius esset a re non necessaria we should rather abstayne from a thing not needfull then by occasion thereof hazard the soules of the commers So likewise Thomas Aquinas resolveth in his Aquin. vt supra summe 3. To bring in any part of the Leuiticall service into the Church of Christ is vtterly Heb. 7. 12. vnlawfull as the Apostle shews But this kynd of musike by Organs and Instruments was a part of Leuiticall service Therefore it is vtterly vnlawfull in 2 Chr. 29. 25. Bez. in colloq mompelg part 2. p. 36. Aquin. 22. q. 91. art 2. arg 4. the Church of Christ Beza not onelie vrgeth this but that deepe divine as they take him Aquinas saith the Church doth not receiue Musicall instruments to praise God with ne videatur iudaizare Lest shee seeme to Iudaize And he giues good reason why the Iews under the Law had such musick and Christians haue none 1. because in the old Ibid. ad 4. law the people were more carnall And the second because these instruments did figure some things to come namely the spirituall ioy which we haue in Christ 4. That which Christ and the Apostles and all the godly Fathers of the Church for six hundred years together thought to be the fittest and meetest musick for the Church that must we think to be fittest unlesse wee thinke to bee wiser then they But Christ and the Apostles and all the godly fathers of the Church for 600. yeares and more haue taken plaine voyce musick and not this kind of musick by Organes and descant to bee the fittest and meetest for Gods service as appeareth by their practise and precepts Math. 26. 30. Col 3. 16. Plinie saith of the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plin. apud Euseb lib. 3. cap. 30. Aug. lib. 10. canf c. 33. Christians that they did ante lucanos hymnos Christo Deo canere Sing Psalmes to Christ the Lord in the morning before day And Augustine reporteth of Athanasius tam modico flexu vocis faciebat sonare lectorem Psalmi ut pronuntianti vicinior esset quam canenti Hee made the reader of the Psalmes varie his voyce so little that he seemed rather to speake then to sing And Hierome dislikes that such as sing in the Ierom. epist ad Epiphan dist 82. Church should stretch their mouth and throat as though they were at a play And therefore this plaine voyce musick is fittest to be used in the service of God 1. Object Iust martyr qu 107. and Answ to the pet p. 12. Augustine lib. 10. c. 11. allowe musike Answ But what kynd of musick doe they allow Organs and curious pricke sung Augustine speaks but of singing of Aug. lib. 9. confess c. 6. 7. Epist. 119. c. 18. psalmes as may appeare in many places that liquida voce with a cleare plaine voice cōuenientissma modulatione a most fit and seemely tune for els where he professeth that where as some had brought In. Psal 32. com 1. in the vse of the harpe and citharane into the Church he by his authoritie remoued it Let no man maruaile sayth he that wee haue cast out the harpe and behold it is commanded to sound saying prayse the Lord vpon the harpe nemo convertat cor ad organa quod ei iubetur in se habet Let no man spend his efection vpon the musicall Instruments being to make melody in himselfe For Iustin Martyr though that bee none of his work because he there citeth Author apud Iustin. q. 107. Origen who liued after yet whosoeuer is the author he is directly against our brethren as dirictlie for us in this cause Instruments saith he be not vsed in the Church of God sed simplex cantio in eis manet there is nothing but plain singing nam
Church all of them able to preach Answ It is untrue that there were No unpreaching Pastors in the primitiue Church any Ministers in the Primitiue Church which had charge of soules being not able to preach Chrysostome and Peter Martyr with others are onely named their words are not alleadged the first indeed saith Senioribus qui inutiliores sunt hoc baptizandi munus committimus verbum autem quod doceant sapientioribus Wee commit the office of Baptisme to some somewhat unprofitable but the preaching of the word to the wiser sort Peter In 1. Cor. 1. Martyr saith tingendi munus cuilibet in Ecclesia committi potest the office of dipping may bee committed to any But first these testimonies serue not for the Primitiue Church which reached not to Chrysostoms time if we speak properly yet Chrysostome speaketh but by way of Chrysost ibid cōparison that where ministers were they made choyce of the wisest for preaching in comparatione civili prudentia utitur hee speaketh by way of comparison as civill wise men use to do they were not then altogether unprofitable that baptized but in comparison And Peter Martyr speaketh not of ministers onely but his opinion was that any might dippe or lay on water the minister using the words which conceit wee leaue unto the Author Further wee deny not but that in some Churches Deacons and other Ministers baptized which preached not which use how commendable wee are not now to discusse But never shall it bee shewed that in the better and first ages of the Church any Minister had the charge of soules that could not preach as Chrysostome sheweth quoniam oportet eum quae sunt Rectoris habere idcirco subiunxit aptum ad docendum because hee must haue those things which belong to the Rector or spirituall governour hee addeth apt to teach c. this is not required of the people sed illi ante omnia adesse debet but hee must haue it aboue all which taketh upon him this office Lastly admit that such a corrupt use had crept into the Church to allow unpreaching pastors yet is it directly contrary to the Apostles precept who maketh it of the essence of the pastor to bee apt to teach 1. Tim. 3 2. such was also the practise of the Primitiue Church all their pastors were preachers Act. 20. 28. 1. Thess 5. 12. 1. Pet. 5. 2. 3. Obiect The urging of that strange doctrine that hee is no Minister that can not preach c. Answ The vrging of that doctrine Vntruth We so urge not that hee is no Minister that cannot preach what is it to the petitioners they so affirme not Is it all one to say there ought to bee no Ministers that can not preach they are not Ministers that can not preach why do our brethren whom the schooles might teach to dispute ad idem thus breake out into matters not in question betweene vs. VVee denie not but that such are Ministers though vnprofitable ones the sacraments giuen by them sacraments yet vnduly ministred and wee say of them as Augustine in a somewhat diuerse case in bonis sacramentis non Contra crescen lib. 1. c. 26. sunt boni quomodo in bona lege non sunt boni Iudaei The sacraments are good but they are no good Ministers of them 4. Object Hath it not made the Brownists confidently to reproch vs that our Church is no church c. Answ 1. Neither is it true that the Brownists condemne our Church and Sacraments Vntruth c. onely because some of the Ministers could not preach for they mislike also and condemne the most painfull preachers amongst us but they pretend many other reasons of their separation 2. Our brethren needed not therefore to haue cast the Brownists in our nose seeing it is well knowen that the ministers which desire reformation haue most of all other opposed themselues by writing to that faction 3. But is this a good argument the Brownists haue taken offence at unpreaching Ministers Ergo there may be such c. Nay rather the occasion of their offence stumbling should haue been removed 5. Object It is not possible to haue all Ministers men of worth till all church liuings bee very sufficient c. Answ Of like consequence is the argument A learned ministery possible that followeth The liuings are not sufficient to mayntayne preachers Ergo it is not possible to haue all preachers and men of worth 1. VVhy doe our brethren then of Oxford and Cambridge hinder the sufficiency of Ministers mayntenance as much as in them lyeth by gainsaying the Kings princely motion for disposing of the leases of impropriations to the vse of the incumbent preachers whereof wee shall haue cause to intreat afterward 2. This yet is no excuse for such vnsufficient Ministers as enioy sufficent liuings wherof there are a great number 3. Although the want of mayntenance bee a great let to a learned Ministerie yet it is possible though with much difficulty to plant preachers even where such defect is as in the Apostles tyme and many yeares before the Church was endowed and the next way to enlarge the Ministers mayntenance were to place every where worthy men whose painfull labours would provoke mens liberality At the least let such Churches as haue sufficient mayntenance first bee sufficiently provided of good men And for the enlarging of the rest the Prince and the state must bee humbly sued vnto And Clergy men for so much as lyeth in their power should shew themselues ready by their example 6. Obiect Many do please themselues in their extemporall gifts c. Answ Is not this also a goodly argument Of extemporal Preachers Many do please themselues in their extemporall gift c. and for their grosse ignorance haue deserved to be blotted out of the number of preachers ergo all Ministers need not to be preachers for this must bee the conclusion or else they do but trifle as though the presumption of the one doth excuse the idlenesse of the other because one shooteth too far shall another shoot too short An extemporall gift as wee simply allow not for the word of God must bee reverently handled so wee see not why men of long study and exercise may not where the present necessity is such shew their readinesse that way As Origene was sometime forced to doe singula rimari extemporaneus Homil. 8. in Levit. iste sermo non patitur Such extemporall preachers were Ioan. Antiochen presbyter and Honoratus Mussiliens episcopus extempore in Ecclesia declamator An extemporall preacher in the Church And as extemporall sermons are loose so bosome sermons that are verbatim delivered are too curious as wee condemne the one so wee commend not the other approving therein the iudgement of Augustine Donec significet i. se intelligere versandum est quod agitur multimoda varietate dicendi quod in potestate non habent qui praeparata
ad verbum memoriter retenta prvnnntiant Till it appeare that the people understand that which is handled it must be opened with variety of phrase which they that repeat things word for word as they haue conned thē by hart cānot do Thus by such weak arguments as we haue seene the Confuters haue boulstered out as Mammets and men of straw the dumbe and Idoll Ministers VVee are right sorry that Oxford Doctors now under the Gospell should so much swerue in the iudgment of the truth from their predecessors in the time of Poperie who decreed much better concerning this mater then these men now write Presbyteris parochialibus districtè iniungimus c. we enioyne the presbyters of every parish to instruct the people commited to them with the word of God ne canes muti iudicentur Concil Oxoniens sub Stephan cum salubri latratu in caulis dominicis luporum spiritualium morsus non repellunt This Councell calleth them all dumbe dogges that do not instruct and preach unto their people and driue away by their wholesome doctrine the wolues VVherefore O most noble King 1. seing God refuseth them to be his ministers that The conclusion haue no knowledge 2. neither are such fit stewards over Gods house 3. they are infatuated salt 4. seing ignorāce is inexcusable in the people much more in the pastor 5. by the ignorāce of such faith decayeth 6. the destruction of many soules ensueth 7. seeing a Minister by S. Pauls description should bee apt to teach 8. and that it is a punishment sent of God to haue unskilfull shepheards 9. and all whom Christ sendeth he furnisheth with gifts 10. Seing by the canons and practise of the Church such unsufficient Ministers are condemned Seing nothing can be obiected in the contrary of any moment 1. Ob. that although there bee diverse gifts yet every pastor ought to haue them in some measure 2 Obj. neither were there any pastors in the Primitiue Church no preachers 3. neither is it a thing impossible to haue every where sufficient Pastors VVe are perswaded that your Christian Maiesty out of your Princely iudgment will in due time see the Church reformed in this point and therein follow the example of that noble Charles King of France who enacted thus providimus pro aedificatione omnium Ecclesiarum c. Wee haue provided for the edifying of all Churches that not onely in Citties but in all parishes the presbyters Synod Arelat sub Carolo caus 10 preach the word to the people that they may learne to liue well c. ARTIC 2. Of the removing or supplying of unlearned Ministers 1. Obiect HOW charitable are these men that would haue men removed out of the ministry c. Answ 1. How can the Petitioners bee counted uncharitable when they wish some charitable course to be taken for the reliefe of unsufficient Ministers Neither is it propounded simply but with a disjunction or else that they be forced to maintaine preachers according to the value of their livings c. And wee pray you how many are there to be now found that were entreated to take upon them the Ministry for want of sufficient men or that were in time past sufficient and are now decayed by age sicknesse c. are there not almost an hundred other unsufficient Ministers to one of this sort and they that are of that quality why should they not haue coadiutors as Augustine was to Valerius Eradius to Augustine Nazianzene to his Father Anysius to Acholius of Thessalonica Should the people perish for want of instruction because of their infirmitie But say it had been simply moved to haue all unsufficiēt ministers removed so they were provided for is this course uncharitable then count the Apostle uncharitable who willeth that he which laboureth not should 2. Thess 3. not eat or what think you of these ancient canons peregrini presbyteri si praedicatores sint veritatis suscipiantur sin minus ne necessaria subministrentur eis Can. apost 34. Episcopus vel presbyter c. si in pietate populum non erudit a communione segregetur si in ea socordia perseveraverit deponitur can 57. So was it also decreed in the Councell of Oxford si residere noluerint cum non nisi laborantibus panis dandus sit Ecclesijs per Episcopum spolientur Say also that they are uncharitable that thus decreed that unpreaching Ministers should not be releeved that they be put from the Communion and finally if they continue in theyr idlenes to bee deposed 2. Object How can they maintayne preachers that haue not where with to mayntayne themselues c. Answ Many vnsufficient and vnpreaching Ministers haue sufficient liuing and mayntenance and as many as wee thinke are of that sorte well provided for that wayes as are not inioying some an 100 markes some an 100. pound by the yeare some more and those might very well he charged to maintaine preachers the rest that are not able alone two or three should ioyne together to haue a preacher by course rather then the Churches shold be altogether unfurnished till better provision be made 3. Object How much better hath our Church deuised to supply the defects of some men c. by other meanes as by the frequent reading of scripture c. Answ Our brethren tell us of better supplies of these defects then by preachers To be otherwise supplied as by frequent reading of scripture by the forme of common prayer by the reading of homilies quarterly sermones for answere wherevnto wee say 1. if quarterly sermons make a good supply wee hope that weekely sermons euery Lords day afford a better how vnaduised then are our brethren to call the word seldome preached a better supply then the same diligently preached 2. Bishop Ridley is alledged to speake in commendation of the booke of common prayer neyther doe wee for the substance condemne it the times must bee considered wherin he wrote when the masse was restored in respect whereof our Leiturgy is much to be preferred His words further are these Howsoeuer in tyme past in certayn by matters and circumstances of religion your wisdome and my simplicity I grant hath a little iarred Fox Martyrol p. 1504. epist ad Hooper ex epist Rid ad Hooper Here the same Reverend Bishop giueth way to Bishop Hooper and modestly confesseth his too much stifnesse in mayntayning of some ceremonies But he was farre off from making the booke of common prayer a supply of preaching and therefore he is here very impertinently alledged 3. But what vnsauory words are these to say that the reading of homilies and of the booke of common prayer are ordinary and effectuall meanes to continue and increase the people in the true fayth 1. VVe had thought that as the word of God is the ordinary effectuall meanes to begette faith as the Apostle sheweth that faith commeth by hearing Rom 10 7. the word preached v. 14. So it had beene likewise
the ordinary effectuall meanes to encrease faith according to S. Peter as new borne babes desire the syncere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby 1. pet 2. 2. VVee are not only begoten by the word but wee also increase and grow thereby Hierome or who also was the author sayth much better Quando doctrina non erit in Ecclesijs c. when teaching is not in the Church Reg. monar◠wee know that all vertues perish because the word of God is not taught But if reading were the ordinary and effectuall meanes c. vertue for lacke of other teaching needed not to perish 2. But if they be ordinary meanes c. then tell vs do those Churches which haue no such reading of Homilies as in Scotland Geneva c want the ordinary and effectuall meanes to encrease them in the true fayth and shew vs how many of the people haue been converted and increased in the faith by these your ordinary and effectuall means 3. VVee commend reading of scripture and allow a godly forme of prayer but not as principall and sole meanes by them selues effectuall or ordinary to increase or beget fayth More equall seemeth to be that decree of the Lateran Coūcel inter caetera c. Among other things which Lateranens sub Innocen 3. c. 10. concerne the saluation of the people pabulam verbi Dei per maximè sibi noscitur necessariū The foode of the word of God is knowne to be most necessary for as the body is not nourished without materiall food so neither is the soule without spirituall This decre prefereth the foode of the word of God before all other helpes not as our brethren which say the defects of some men may be supplyed better then by preaching 4. Lastly our kingly Ecclesiastes hath determined this question that faith commeth not by reading but by hearing the word preached who hauing first taught his princely sonne deligently to read and to meditate in the word of God addeth further I ioyne to this the carfull hearing of the doctrine with reverence and attention for faith commeth by hearing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 4. saith the Apostle By preaching of the word then are wee begotten vnto God and by the same as by a notable ordinary meanes wee grow and encrease Bernard hath a good saying qui creauit nos creatur in De interior donis c. 21. nobis c. He that did create vs is created in vs and as though it were not enough that wee haue God to our father he will haue vs to be his mother fide concipitur Christus verbi praedicatione nascitur by fayth is Christ conceaved by the preaching of the word he is born in vs. The wise man saith Where there is no vision or as the great bible readeth where the word of God is not preached the people perish prov 29. 18. And yet our brethren as though they had neuer read this place are not affrayd to affirme that reading is as effectuall a means to encrease men in the faith I would they had not given occasion to haue Iobs words returned upon them Iob. 13. 4. lib. 1. in luc Yee are all Physitians of no value and as Ambrose saith leprae medicina verbum est contemptus utique verbi lepra mentis est The medicine agrinst leprosie is the word and the contempt of the word the leprosie of the soule they then that extenuate the preaching of the word are like sooner to encrease then cure the maladies of the soule 3. Of Non-residencie Reasons and arguments against Non-Residents 1. PAstors are shepheards but shepheards ought to attend and bee resident upon their flockes as it is sayd of the shepheards Luc. 2. 8. they watched their flocks by night upon the which words Ambrose well saith grex populus nox lib. 2. in luc soeculum pastores sacerdotes esto ergo vigilans the flocke is the people the night this world the sheepheards the Ministers be therefore watchfull Thus the Apostle exhorteth the pastors of Ephesus attend unto Act. 20. 28 your selues and the whole flock 2. Diligence and attendance is required in other externall offices the steward must giue the houshould meate in season Mat. 24. 41. He that ruleth must do it with diligence Rom. 12. 8. much more is diligence and residence required where men are set over the peoples soules Heb. 13. 17. which is more then to haue charge over their bodies and goods Ambrose saith well quo praeclarior causa eo cura debet esse Offic. lib. 1. c. 44. attentior the better the cause the greater should be the care 3. Bernard thus applieth these words of Epist 88. the Apostle art thou bound to a wife seeke not to be loosed aut ergo oportuit te gregem dominicum minimè servandum suscipere aut susceptum nequaquam relinquere You ought then either not at all to haue undertaken to keepe the Lords flocke or being undertaken not at all to leaue it But if these words of the Apostle will not beare this collection the other going before will 1. Cor. 7 20. Let every man abide in that vocation wherein he is called but Non-residents leaving their flocks abide not in their vocation ergo c. 4. A watchman ought not to leaue his watchtower Esay 21. 8. I stand continually in the watchtower by day and I am set in the watch by night but Pastors are watchmen Ezeck 33. 7. sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman to the house of Israell c. To this purpose Ambrose well writeth upon these words of S. Paul 2. Cor. 6. 7. by watchings c. tam sollicitus erat circa officium sibi delegatum ut ne nocte cessaret he was so carefull about the office committed to him that he rested not in the night 5. The Prophet calleth him an idle sheepheard that leaveth the flock Zach. 11. 7. Our Saviour nameth him an hireling that leaveth the sheep and flieth Ioh. 10. 12. But hirelings and idle sheepheards are not to be suffered in the Church Augustine saith well Quae igitur fuga cavenda est c. What fleeing is to be shunned even that whereof our Lord speaketh the hireling when hee seeth the theefe flieth Psal 141. 6. They that feed not the flocke of Christ are convinced not to loue Christ for our Saviour sayd to Peter Louest thow mee feed my flock Iohn 21. whereupon Damasus well saith omnis negligenter pascens Damas epist 4. decretail c. every one negligently feeding the Lords flocke so often commended is found not to loue the chiefe shepheard nec eius se velle discipulum fieri cuius exemplum negligit imitari Neither will become his disciple whose example he neglecteth to imitate 7. Non-Residents cannot discharge their pastoral duty being absent as it belongs to the sheppard to heale the sicke to bind up the Esa 34. 4. broken to seek that is lost Bernard saith wel
answere Non dico juga boum aut villam emi c. sed plane parvulos me lactare fateor c. I say not I haue bought oxen or a farme but I suckle little ones and therefore I see not how I can come without their great danger Vniversities are not maintained but hindred by non-residents when by this meanes the elder sort liue there like drones and keepe out yonger students that might doe more good As for the masters of howses most of their places are sufficient without other helps to maintaine them in competent sort the other might be provided of dignities without cure that they need not clog themselues with benefices Cathedrall Churches also may be served with residence of Prebends by course there is no necessity of continuall or long absence from their flockes for this cause the onely inconvenience is to their purse if they bee not perpetuall residents according to that Canon which forbiddeth Ne canonici non residentes quotidianas distributiones ex integro perciperent They should but so much want of their divident VVherefore most noble King 1. Seing sheepheards ought to attend upon their flock 2. and Stewards upon their charge 3. and every one must abide wherein hee is called 4. seeing ministers are watchmen 5. and they which flee from their flocks are idle shepheards and hirelings 6. they which feed not the flocks loue not Christ 7. and they which are absent cannot discharge the pastoral duties which are many 8. seeing non residency bringeth apparant danger to the flock 9. and maketh the Pastor inexcusable 10. and is condemned by the Canons and constitutions of the Church And further seeing nothing of any moment can bee alledged in excuse of Non-residents 1. Neither the smalenesse of living 2. nor largenesle of the parish 3. nor sufferance by some positiue lawes giving way to the time 4. nor absence upon some necessary occasion 5. Seing non-residency tendeth not to the maintenance of learning Court Church nor Vniversity we trust your Maiesty is resolved to cherish good Pastors and to see all Churches planted with such as shall reside to doe their duty among their people And to say with Ambrose Ego Amb epist 54. diligo eos vel Presbyteros vel Diaconos qui cum aliquo processerint nequaquam se patiuntur a suo diutius abesse munere I loue such Presbyters and Deacons who when they are gone abroade will not long be from their charge ARTIC 4. Of the Marriage of Ministers IT is well our Brethren consent with us for ratifying of the civill marriage of Ministers we would also that they did accord with us concerning their spirituall marriage whereof Ambrose thus writeth upon these words of the Apostle Vnius uxoris virum c. Prohibet bigamum Episcopum ordinari si vero ad altiorem sensum conscendimus inhibet Episcopum duas usurpare Ecclesias He forbiddeth a Bishop that hath two wiues to be ordained but if we will go to an higher sense he forbiddeth a Bishop or Pastor to usurp two Churches The fifth Article of Subscription Reasons against subscription to the book 1. MINISTERS were forced to subscribe to many things not warranted by the word In such cases the Apostle giveth this rule to whom we gaue not place by subjection not for an houre Gal. 2. 5. And Hierom confidently saith Ego libera voce reclamante mundo profiteor c. I doe Ierom. Augustine freely professe though the world say nay that the ceremonies of the Iewes are deadly and pernicious to Christians and whosoever observeth them is cast down into the Devils dungeon VVherefore in imposing subscription not to Iewish onely but which is worse to ceremonies used in the Popish Church they layd a yoake upon mens shoulders too heauy to beare Secondly seeing the preachers consented in all substantiall points of doctrine they should haue used their Christian liberty in such ceremonies according to the Apostles rule the kingdom of God is not meate nor drink nor by the like reason apparell but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost for whosoever in those things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men let us follow those thing which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie another Rom. 14. 18 19. Vniformity in ceremonies then should not haue been so strictly urged seeing there was a generall consent in doctrine but forbearance should haue been vsed in matters say indifferent for peace sake in una fide nihil officit Ecclesiae sanctae consuetudo diuersa Toletan 5. can 5. 3. Though it had been a fault in the preachers not to be conformable in these ceremonies yet did it not deserue so great a punishment as suspension degradation incarceration deprivation that Non-residents idle ignorant superstitious adulterous Clergie men were not so proceeded against as honest painful preachers what was this else but with the Pharisees to straine at a gnat and swallow a Camell Such severity in trifles was taxed long ago by Augustine hoc nimis doleo c. this They were wont to obserue the 8. day after baptisme Aug. contra Petil. 2. 37. Aliud est quod octave die baptizatornm nos celebramus much greeveth me that many things wholesomely commanded in Scriptures are not endevoured and all things are so full of humane presumptions that he is more censured that in his octaues setteth his bare feete upon the ground then he that is givē over to drunkennesse Epist 11. c. 19. 4. Profitable ministers though wanting in some externall matters should haue been borne with for the common good of the Church this course S. Paul tooke what then yet Christ is preached all manner of wayes whether under pretence or sincerely I therein ioy and will ioy Phil. 1. 18. Thus Hierom saith well Ecclesia numero superata Advers Ioan bierosol peccantium c. the Church overcome with the number of offenders doth pardon the shepheard to do the sheep good Yea the Canons allow a toleration for the profit of the Church Vbi Ecclesiae maxima utilitas vel necessitas postulet where the necessity or utility caus 1. q. 7. cap. 17. of the Church so requireth There was small reason to thrust out preachers for trifles there being such want of preachers 4000 Churches in England yet being without 5 Subscription was urged by force not by perswasion there was no course taken to resolue them that doubted and Bishops peremptorily required subscription without yeelding any reason further or satisfaction to the doubtfull contrary to the Apostle who saith not that we haue dominion over your faith 2. Cor. 1. 24. But they which urged subscription commanded they perswaded not mens conscience the Church of Rome some time was more equall as Leo 1. thus writeth plus erga corrigendos agat benevolentia quà m severitas plus cohortatio quà m comminatio plus Charitas quà m potestas c. with those that are to be corrected let Clemency prevaile more
then severity cohortation then commination charity then authority but they which seeke their own not Iesus Christs doe swarue from this Law which seek rather to rule then counsell their subiects for while honour pleaseth pride puffeth up that which was provided for a remedy to a malady Leo epist 82. distinct 45. 6. In the urging of subscription they forget Christian compassion stripping Ministers and some of them aged of their livings to the undoing of themselues their wiues and children Iosias shewed more compassion to the Chemarims that were idolatrous Priests who though they were not permitted to come up to the altar yet did not eate unleavened bread among their brethren 2. Reg. 23. 9. they had their maintenance from the temple The Popes Canons herein were more equall that pittied old age as Gregory thus decreeth sed quia simplicitatem tuam cum senectute novimus interim tacemus the penall sentence was ready to be inflicted but because wee know your simplicity ioyned with old age we hold our peace Caus 1. q. 7. can 11. 7. This forcing of subscription to Ceremonies not warranted by the word is contrary to the Scriptures and practise of the Church In Nehemiahs time Subscription was required and an oath of the chiefe of the people but it was onely to walk in Gods Law Neh. 10. 29. not to keepe any traditions not written VVhen Victor would haue forced the East Churches to keep Easter as the Latine Churches did and was resolved to excommunicate them certaine Christian Bishops and Irenaeus among Euseb lib. c. 22. the rest did reproue him tanquam inutiliter Ecclesiae commodis consulentem as unprofitably regarding the Churches good There arose in Gregory the first his time a Tolet. 4. c. 5 great difference in Spaine about the thrice dipping in baptisme some doing it but once Leander a Spanish Bishop sent to Gregory about it who determineth that the Infant was baptized sive trina sive simpla mersione whether with thrice or once dipped hee would haue no contention about that ceremony But his successours more rigorous then charitable one decreed that it was Evangelicum praeceptum Part. 3. dist 4. c. 82. an Evangelicall precept to dip thrice Another that hee was not a perfect Christian that was not thrice dipped Lastly Pelagius it was decreed in the 8. generall Councell at Constantinople that whereas Photius the Can. 8. 9. concil general Constantinop usurper of that sea did extorquere chyrographas c. extort from clergie handwritings promising thereby to cleaue unto him and he againe gaue them by his hand writing faculties to preach And certaine Catholicke Bishops had taken up the like custome to urge subscription The contrary was decreed by that Councell ut Episcopi nullus chyrographas c. that Bishops should no more exact such subscription sed tantummodo fierent solennitates de more but to be content with the old use they should enforce no new subscriptions but keepe the old customes solennities The Bishops then in urging new subscriptions to combine the Clergy to cleaue unto them not otherwise to grant them licenses to preach did reviue the corrupt use of Photius the pseudo-Patriark condemned in this Councell 8. To require absolute subscription to the booke is to make it almost equall to the Scripture as freed from all errour but this properly the holy writings onely haue viz. to bee perfect right pure Psal 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect the statuts of the Lord are right VVhat could be required more then to subscribe absolutely to the word of God as pure perfect and without any errour Augustine well distinguisheth between divine and humane writing de Scripturis canonicis non licet dicere c. of the Canonicall Scriptures it is not lawfull to say the Author was deceived but in other books which are written by us not with authority of precept but exercise to profit though there be found the same verity yet are they not of the same authority which kind of writing must be read not with necessity of beleefe but liberty of iudgement Aug. cont Faust l. 11. 5. But there is now no liberty of iudgmēt left but necessity of beliefe imposed in this absolute subscriptiō 9. Beside this violent course of subscription hath bred a great scandale in the Church disturbed the peace thereof that whereas quietly before Ministers ioyned together in building the Lords house after the same began to be urged then suspensions imprisoning silencing depriving of many profitable ministers followed Saint Paul saith Would to God they were cut off that disquiet you Gal. 5. 12. They were disquieters of the Church that urged the ceremonies not they that refused them Conscience forced not the one to urge subscription for they themselues hold these Ceremonies not to bee necessary but conscience moved the other in not subscribing unto them VVho were then disturbers they which urged those things which with a good conscience might be left or they which refused those which with a good conscience they thought they could not use There is a rule in the law In rebus dubijs pars tutior sequenda In doubtfull matters the safer way is to be followed Not to use such rites and ceremonies is no sin but to yeeld unto them in him that is not resolved is sinne The law resolveth that the lesse doubted course should be taken not to use them at all Cyrillus thus writeth to Gemadius Sicut ij qui mare navigant c. As they which saile in the Sea when a tempest ariseth and the ship is in danger doe disburden it of some things to saue the rest so seeing it is not in our power to saue all despicimus ex ijs quaedam ne cunctorum patiamur dispendia Wee seeme to neglect or winke at some things lest wee should leese all So it had been better to haue cast out such burthenous ceremonies then to put the ship of the Church in hazard and disturbe the peace thereof 10. The forme of subscription is contrary Subscription contrary to law to the law of the land as may appeare by these reasons 1. The Law requireth subscription onely to the Articles of Religion in these words He shall declare Anno 13. Eliz. c. 12. his assent and subscribe to all the articles of Religion which onely concerne the confession of the true christian faith and the doctrine of the Sacraments But to subscribe to the booke of common praier doth not onely concerne the confession of true Christian faith Ergo by the lawe it is not to be subscribed unto 2. That which Ministers doe subscribe unto by law must appeare under the seal testimoniall of the Bishop and bee publikely declared in the Church within two moneths of induction but neither doth the testimoniall make mention of subscription to the booke neither is the Minister bound to declare his assent thereto in the Church Ergo it is not agreeable to the law 3. The
law especially enacted concerning An. 1 Eliz. cap. 12. the booke of Common praier onely punisheth such as doe not obserue it and use the rights and ceremonies therein prescribed it punisheth not such as refuse to subscribe thereunto so that the law requireth onely obedience in practise not subscription in iudgement to the booke 4. This may appeare in the equity of other lawes and statutes of this land as for the observation of lent and fasting daies and other such matters whereunto it requireth not subscription but onely execution and a faithfull subiect will be content to yeeld his observance and obedience unto many lawes whereto hee would be loth to giue his assent VVherefore seeing subscription to the booke is first against piety in that many things are there prescribed not warranted by the word 2. without any necessity seeing there is a consent in the substantiall points of faith 3. with great partiality in punishing more for ceremonies then other greater transgressions 4. against the utility of the Church in depriving the same of so many profitable men 5. preposterous enforcing by authority not perswading by argument 6. against charity in not sparing aged Ministers their wiues and children 7. contrary to the practise of the Church 8. equalizeth humane writings to Scriptures 9. disturbeth the peace of the Church 10. is against the law of the land A most happy service your Maiesty should doe unto Christ benefit to his Church contentment to your best disposed subiects to remoue this hard yoake and heavy burthen of subscription and doe herein as good Constantine did who when bils of complaint were brought unto him by the Bishops cast them into the fire and made a peace among them And as Pompey intercepting a packet of letters sent to Sertorius tending to sedition burned them And as Basilius the Emperour caused all the syngrapha and subscriptions which Photius had of the Ministers to be committed to the fire concil gener 8. Act. 8. Obiections 1. Obj. BVT it will bee objected that the most part of the parishes of this land haue subscribed already as the Bishops haue to shew in their bookes of subscription onely a few persons excepted Answ To this we haue answered before at large in the defence of the generall censure Art 3. And of the preface art 6. upon what grounds and reasons some were resolued in respect of the tyme to tolerate by subscribing that which simply they thought not fit to bee prescribed to the Church 2. Obiect This forcing of subscription hath made an vniformity in the Land and wrought great peace in the Church Answ 1. VVee haue shewed before that nothing hath bred greater variance and disturbance in the Church then this torture of subscription 2. It was such a peace as Hierome speaketh of which the Hierom. ad Theophil Patriarke of Hierusalem brought his Clergy to quod si pacem habere non potest cum fratre nisi cum subdito ostendit se non tam pacē capere quam sub occasione pacis vindictam If he cānot haue peace with his brother vnlesse he be his subject he desireth not so much peace as revenge vnder that colour And againe nihil grande est pacem voce praetendere opere destruere It is no great mater to pretend peace in word and ouerthrow it in deed so the urgers of subscription pretended peace but they intended it not but rather extinguished it of whō we say with Hieroms words Moneas illos pacē nō extorquere sed velle Tell them they should not extort peace but exhort vnto it 3. Object Wee know no subscription vrged not disagreeable to law Ans That the subscription vrged is not agreeable to law is shewed before arg 10 4. Object At Geneva they strictly tie all c. to the observatiō of their Church government c. Answ If the Church of Geneua vrge a But to nothing in controversie as our ceremonies and Discipline conformitie to that which they are able to warant by the word and haue a positiue lawe for the same that can bee no rule or president for such subscription and conformity which is not so warranted And if either they or any other Chur. shal impose subscription to that which is not grounded vpon the word wee neyther defend nor commend it Object 5. Not vrging a conformity in Church discipline is to set open the highe way to all disorder and confusion c. Answ Though it may be remembred that in the tyme of popery when they stood more vpon conformity in ceremonies then protestants doe there were 4 or 5 kinds of diverse seruices in the laud some following the vse of Sarum som of Bangor some of Lincolne others of Hereford orhers of Yorke yet we mislike not a conformity euen in externall matters But first let no thing bee vrged but that which may be warranted by the word then let our brethren call for an vniuersall conformity And wee could wish the same rule to bee kept which Gregory the 1. some time prescribed for England non pro locis res sed pro rebus loca amanda sunt ex singulis ergo quibuscunqe Ecclesijs c. Things must not be loued for the place but the place for the things therefore out of every Church chose such things as are godly religious right and these bound as it were in a bundle lay vp in English harts wee could wish likewise that for ceremonies wee followed the best reformed Churches The Defence of the third part Reasons and arguments against Plurality of Benefices 1. Arg. OVr Saviour Christ Describing a good shepheard in his owne persone sayth I am the good shephard and know myne owne and am knowen of mine Ioan. 10. 14. A good shepheard then must be conversant among his flocke as the preacher sayth Agnosce vultum pecoris tui Be deligent to know the state of they flock and take heed to the heards prov 27. 23. But so cannot they doe that haue many flockes Damasus herevpon well sayth si domini desideramus esse descipuli ipsius imitemur Damas epist 4. decret vestigia c. If wee desyre to bee the Lords disciples let vs walke in his steppes that it may bee sayd of vs I am a good she epheard and know myne owne and call them by name c. 2. Arg. A faithfull Pastor must not bee given to filthy lucre Titus 1. 7. but to haue two or mo benefices proceedeth of covetousnesse Nicen. 2. can 5. Clericus ab hoc deinceps tempore in duabus Ecclesijs non collocetur hoc enim est negotiationis turpis lucri proprium A Clergie man must not be placed in two churches for this savoureth of filthy lucre 3. Arg. S. Paul saith Let every man wherin he is called therein abide with God 1. Cor. 7. 24. But they which are called to one Church and after accept another remaine not in their first calling This reason is used by the same Councell against
If this bee unlawfull much more the other 10. The Canons doe not onely hold it unlawfull for lay men to possesse tythes usus decimarum secularibus provenire non potest Caus 16. qu. 1. c. 68. Nullus decimas ad alios pertinentes accipiat Leo caus 16. qu. 2. c. 4. But they doe grievously censure them Qui non Ecclesiae restituerint iterum c. He that restoreth not to the Church the things which belong to the Church neither do yeeld his evidences to be cancelled let him stand accursed till he doe it Caus 12. q. 2. c. 13. Decimas quae in usus pietatis concessas esse c. Tythes which the canons shew to haue been given to pious uses wee forbid any lay men to hold whether they haue received them of Kings or Bishops unlesse they restore them to the church let them know that they haue committed sacriledge and incurred the perill of damnation Caus 16. q. 7. c. 1. VVhat more grievous sentence could bee given then that they which usurpe the tythes of the Church commit sacriledge stand accursed and are guilty of eternal damnation 11. Bishops also and Clergy men making grant of tythes to lay men are censured by the Canons Episcopus qui non sacerdotibus sed laicalibus personis decimas conferat inter maximos haereticos Antichristos c. A bishop conferring tythes not upon Priests but lay men is not the least among heretikes and Antichrists Caus 16. q. 7. c. 3. Statuimus ut si quis alicui laico concesserit c. He that granteth a Church or a tythe to a lay man let him be cut off from his place as an unfruitfull tree Greg. lib. 3. qu. 30. c. 17. 12. Impropriations where sufficient maintenance is not left to the incumbent are supposed not to bee good in law By what degree impropriations came in That this may appeare we will shew by what degrees they were first founded 1. At the first the annexing of tythes to other places and converting them to other uses was held unlawfull as mention is made of a generall Councell wherein it was decreed Quod ex tunc canonicis ad eorum sustentationem capellae non cōcederentur That Canons should not haue chappels for their maintenance Greg. l. 3. tit 5. c. 33. 2. Afterward a restraint was made that no more Churches should be appropriated Vt praelati beneficia non applicent mensis that Prelats apply not benefices to their tables Clem l. 7. tit 5. c. 1. 3. Then order was taken that no Churches should be appropriate unlesse sufficient maintenance were left to the Minister non obstante Episcopi consuetudine notwithstanding any Episcopall custome And that he which did not leaue congruentem de proventibus Ecclesiae portionem a competent portion of the Church revenewes should bee depriued of the benefice sciat se authoritate istius Decreti illa privatam Decr. Greg l. 3. tit 12. c. 1. 4. By the law of the land bequeasts alienated and not employed according to the mind of the founder are forfeited being contra formam collationis ann 13. Edward 1. as in this case tythes are which were first given for the maintenance of the Minister and preaching of the word 5. Yea it is also provided that no Church bee appropriate but a certaine summe of Money should go yearely to the reliefe of the pore parochians and vicar bee well sufficiently endowed otherwise to bee voyd ann 4. Henr. 4. c. 12. and what it is to be conveniently endowed is there expounded to do divine service to enforme the people and keep hospitality ibid. 13. VVe will lastly shew the inconveniences that arise by farming tithes to laymē 1. By this means we shewed before an unpreaching ministry is maintained and many perish for want of teaching 2. Learning decayeth the rewards thereof being taken away Vnde fit ut in his regionibus c. Wherefore it commeth to passe that in these countries scarse any parish Priest is found qui ullam vel modicam habeat peritiam literarum which hath any mean knowledge of letters Decr. Greg. l. 3 tit 5. c. 30. 3. Hospitality faileth and the poore want their relief 4. The Ministers themselues are in great want and many times driven to hard shifts as Hierome complayneth in his time mendicat infoelix Clericus in plateis The pore clergie man beggeth in the streets and is constrayned to liue of his labour and to aske almes de 7. ordinibus 5. The Marriage of Ministers is made scandalous who dying by this means wanting provision leaue many pore widowes and orphanes 6. It is the occasiō of Non-residency pluralities whē Ministers not finding one liuing sufficiēt are forced to take another to it 7. By this means where a sufficient pastor is wanting the wolfe taketh occasion to spoyle the flock many Seminaries and Iesuits do creep in corners 8. The people paying their tythes to others are burthened which new collectiōs to maintain a preacher 9. Clergy men giue offence in disposing so evill of theyr impropriations and cause other noble and gentle men by their example to draw backe and they themselues are corrupted by it and become carelesse in their owne flockes as Hierome well noteth si carnales diuitias quae labuntur non benè dispensatis c. If yee doe not well dispense riches that fade the true and euer enduring riches of heauenly doctrine who shall giue you Hier. Algas q. 6. 10. They cause other men to usurp upon the possessions of the Chur. occupying the place habitation of Rectors and parsons as they are called not being answerable to the name in any duty which kind of title and calling the Ciuill Law vtterly condemneth Si quis sub nudo appellationis velamine se collegiatum appellat c. If any doe call himselfe by the naked name of a Collegiate or Ecclesiasticall person another shall be put in his roome Cod. lib. tit 5. leg 9. Theodos Valent. All these inconveniences might as much as in them lyeth easily bee helped if Bishops Cathedrall Churches Colledges would demise their tythes only to the incumbent Minister during his life and incumbency for the old rent and some reasonable fyne at his entrance as the first years fruites the charges diducted Obiections answered 1. Object THESE Canons before alleadged onely prohibite lay men in theyr owne right to possesse tithes Answ Yea they forbid that they should take tithes to farme sub interminatione anathematis c. Vnder paine of the curse Ne laici Ecclesias ad firmas teneant that lay men take not Churches to farme Thus Alexander the third did write to the Bishop of London Decr. Greg. 3. tit 50. c. 6. Which Canons are yet Law in the Church of England where they are not contrariate to the statutes of the Realme 2. Obj. But ministers are prohibited by statute Law to hold any leases or farmes Answ This law was made onely against that abuse of Ministers which busied
farme Ne Laici Ecclesias ad firmam teneant Neither part 27. c. 3 vntruth We doe not content our selues with a 7. part only Reasons of the Petitioners motion conceruing lay mens tythes Synod Colō part 8. c. 5. need it offend our brethren that we seeme to be content with a sixt or seventh part not a seventh part onely as they charge us of such impropriations wee could wish the whole were restrained But seeing that some hold them by inheritance and some by purchase some of good place are wholy maintained of them such a motion would haue seemed unreasonable we say as not long since a provinciall Synod complained Decimas potissimum Ecclesiarum ministris deberi non est dubium That tythes are principally due to the Ministers it is not to be doubted but now they are every where so usurped of lay men that they cannot easily bee pulled out of their hands And this was one cause of so qualifying our motion as also lest we might haue seemed to be partiall while we wish Ecclesiasticall impropriations to stand for the maintenance of their corporations and aime at the dissolution of them of the lay sort as further fearing lest such a motion for these might haue been prejudiciall and dangerous for the other that serue to the maintenance of learning 16. Object It is possible that the men vntruth We despise them not whom they so much contemne would bee able to propose some other course c. Answ This course to be taken for impropriations tendeth not to the alteration or iniury of any state And if the confuters who it were to be wished did no more despise their brethren then they are despised could haue proposed any other course for the maintenance of the Church they might haue done well so to doe But it may be worthily suspected that they can hardly giue counsell to others that will not take it themselues that they which take upon them the defence of Non-residents pluralists impropriations can speake for the maintenance of the Church Ambrose saying may well fit such Quis vtilem causae alienae iudicet quem inutilem Lib. offic 2 12. videt vitae suae quommodo eum iudicare potes superiorem consilio quem vides inferiorem moribus supra me esse debet cui me committere paro an eum idoneum putabo qui mihi det consilium qui non dat sibi Hee cannot giue counsell to another that will take none himselfe neither can hee bee superiour in advice that is inferiour in life And to conclude nothing can bee objected of any weight or moment to hinder so good a worke and so princely a motion which the Kings Maiesty by his letters hath first made whose Christian zeale ought to make others forward Let every man laying aside his owne private respects further the common cause and seeke the generall good of Christs Church that S. Pauls complaint be not renewed All seek their owne and not that which is Iesus Christs Phil. 2. 27. And Hierome well saith Ne lucra saeculi in Christi quaeras militia c Seeke not the worldly gaine in Christs service THE DEFENCE OF THE FOVRTH PART OF THE PETItion concerning Church Discipline 1. Obj. VVE haue been taught heretofore Ans p. 20. that Discipline is an essentiall part of the Gospell c. and matter of faith Ans That the Discipline of the Church being generally understood is a matter of faith and an essentiall marke of the Church I hope our brethren will not deny For Discipline comprehendeth not onely the administration of the keyes but Perpetuall governmēt of the Church p. 208. ordination and imposition of hands but without ordination there are no preachers How shall they preach unlesse they bee sent Rom. 10. 15. And without preaching there is no beliefe ibid. vers 14. VVherefore without some part of Discipline it cannot bee denied but that the Church is no Church faith no faith but generally of euery part it cannot be so affirmed Cyprian is very peremptory for the necessitie of discipline thus writing Apparet non aliter Lib. 2. ep 7. Ecclesiasticae saluti consuli posse c. It appeareth that the safety of the Church cannot otherwise bee provided for unlesse they which are against it as contrary floods bee repelled and the ordor of Discipline as the stirring oare in a tempest be kept safe 2. Obj. It is now come to be so indifferent c. that it will suffer an OR ELS or AT THE LEAST Ibid. Ans And what haue the petitioners here moved which the kings most excellent Maiesty hath not first written That the Discipline of the Church bee preserved in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 44. purity according to Gods word VVhat needed our brethren then to haue carped at this petition Neither is that disiunctiue clause or else at the least any contradiction or repugnance to the former but an exception and qualifying thereof which giveth the adversary no advantage as the Law saith Exceptionem obijciens non videtur de intentione adversarij confiteri Reg. Iuris 63. And it is a condescending to the time that where the perfection desired can not be had reformation be sought that may be attained VVherefore as the rule is in the Law In Argumentum trahi nequeunt quae propter necessitatem aliquando sunt concessa Reg. Iuris 78. That which is yeelded to the necessity of time must not bee urged as the integrity of the thing If Christs institution were exactly kept many things shold be amended that are here not named but the Petitioners haue onely mentioned those things which in reason they thought would not be denied or gainsayd 3. Obj. Were we perswaded that their discipline were of Christs institution could we be without it c. Answ VVhat our brethren will be perswaded wee know not but if these things which are mooved bee not proved to bee agreable to the word of God and the practise of the primitiue Church wee desire not to bee heard but to be reiected with our cause VVee will not obtrude our owne fansies but measure our iudgment by the scriptures as Origen sayth Exhibeo sensus mei testem scripturam Homil. 1. in Ierem. Homil. 9. in Ierem. sensus nostri enarrationes sine ijs testibus non habent fidem I yeeld the scripture a witnesse of my sence my exposition without the scripture let it bee of no credite 4. Object His excellent Maiesty hath had Ans p. 20. experience of the manifold mischeifes that attend their pretended discipline c. Answ This discipline and reformation intended by vs is not attended vpon by any such mischifes other mens ouersights wee iustifie not neither approue any vnaduised proceedings Neither hath his Maiestie so euill opinion of the Scottish Discipline as they insinuate The right vse of a thing must not bee condemned for the abuse as the Law sayth vtile non debet per inutile vitiari Neither the
double profession 2. But seing these causes as matrimoniall testamentarie decimarie are now annexed to the Episcopall iurisdiction such matters as they call of instance it is fit they bee referred to the Civilians In such cases let them not onely be advisers but iudges But as for matters of office as they are called which are meerly Ecclesiasticall wee suppose that Ministers are better able to iudge then Civilians and heerein it is not fit they should be assistants to advise much lesse iudges to determine let them containe themselues within their owne element 2. VVhereas wee are referred to the book of the perpetuall governement of the pag. 320. Church let it bee noted that there it is confessed that Iudges of the Civill law take not upon them the power of the keyes committed to the Apostles their suspensions excommunications c. they claim not by Gods law but by mans VVherefore seing it is confessed that this manner of Excommunication by lay men is humane the Petitioners request is reasonable that this abuse be reformed and such usurpers upon the keyes of the Church restrained Fourthly it is obiected If the discipline were once a foote wee should then heare tell of Ans p. 22. Lay Elders c. Answ 1. The Petitioners say nothing of Lay Elders in their Petition but that there haue been such Lay Elders in the Church which haue intermedled in the Ecclesiasticall affaires it cannot bee denied As Reverend D. Fulke confesseth Fulke ans to the Rhem. 1. Tim. ◠sect 13. out of S. Ambrose thus writing or else hee meaneth of those Elders that Saint Ambrose speaketh of upon the first verse of this chapter that were appointed onely for government not for teaching 2. Is not the like practised in the high commission for causes Ecclesiasticall wherein diverse Reverend persons of the civil state are Commissioners And let not our brethren bee so hot against Lay Elders seeing I hope they will not deny but that they may haue voices in Sinods And what greater inconvenience is it for lay men to bee assistants in Ecclesiasticall affaires then for Clergie Of lay Elders men to interpose themselues in Civill and why might not as well Civill persons if it so pleased the state be of the Convocation house as Ecclesiasticall of the parliament as it was practised in K. Henry the 8. his Fox p. 1182 raigne when that worthy Lord Crumwell was made vicegerent in matters Ecclesiasticall and was himselfe present in the assemblies and at the disputations of the Bishops 3. Yet are wee far from making him a Clergie man as the Confuters a little before confessed though they haue soone forgot themselues of Civilians in these words A chancellour or a commissary is not a lay man in this case And yet there is a great differēce between these lay Elders which are but assistants in the presbytery with others theirs who are sole agents and principals in Ecclesiasticall Courts And therefore we may retort the Confuters saying upon their own heads that they reproue others for speaking for Lay Elders and allow the same themselues But there is a principle in the Law Quod semel Reg. iuris 21. placuit iterum displicere non potest That with once did please cannot againe displease And Hierome could haue told them perdit Hieron Ocean authoritatē dicendi cujus sermo opere destruitur He looseth the authority of teaching that overthroweth his words by his works Of Excommunication for trifles THE excuse is that men are not excommunicated for trifles but for their contempt Ans p. 23. Answ Indeed according to our Saviour Christs rule hee that heareth not the Church Mat. 18. 18 must bee held as an heathen and publicane But it is not yet proved that the officiall and his Register make the Church neither shall our brethren bee ever able to shew it 2. It is true that the letters of Excommunication presuppose a contumacy and contempt preceding But he is not contumacious which at the first monition appeareth not upon every cause pretended as it may appeare by these reasons taken out of the Canons 1. First no man should bee excommunicate before the offence bee proved against him nemo Episcopus aliquem excommunicet priusquam causa probetur caus 2. qu. 1. c. 11. But his contumacy is not proued who vpon the first citation appeareth not for he may be ignorant of it or otherwise necessarily letted Ergo such an one is not to bee excommunicate 2. Such onely are to bee excommunicated as are otherwise incorrigible as by Christs rule he must be taken as an heathen and publican that refuseth to heare the adomonition of one of two lastly of the Church Anathema non debet imponi nisi illi qui aliter non potuerit corrigi Anathema ought not to bee imposed but vpon him that can not otherwise bee amended Concil Meldens c. 56. Excommunicatio non infligenda est nisi his qui aliter corrigi noluerint Excōmunication must be inflicted upon such as cannot otherwise bee corrected Coloniens par 13. c. 4. But they which once cited appeare not are not straight way incorrigible Ergo. c. 3. Excommunication should be onely inflicted for criminall offences Non nisi pro mortali debet imponi crimine Meldens ibid. Excommunicationis sententiae ob criminales tantum causas easque valdè graves lethales feruntur Augustans c. 33. As the Apostle bideth an heretike to be after once or twice admonition reiected Tit. 3. 10 As likwise the Law of the Land awardeth the writ de excōmunicato capiendo to take place onely when the Excommunication proceedeth vpon contempt of some originall matter of criminall offencee as of heresie refusing to come to the Church Incontinency vsury Simony Periury Idolatry But euery absence vpon the first citation proceedeth not of any such contempte VVherfore a man ought not to bee excommunicate for the fees of the court or Cans 23. q. 4. c. 27 such like Pro vindicta propriae iniuriae c. To bee revenged for your owne wrong you haue giuen sentence of Anathema which is against the Cannons penitus interdicimus we forbid that for covetousnes sake none dare to excommunicate any Lateranens sub innocent 3. c. 49. 4. The Canons allow that a man should bee twice or thrice cited before hee bee excōmunicate secunda vel tertia admonitione interposita excōmunicationis sentetia procedat Caus 24. 3. 15. Neither should the first citation be peremptory diem peremptorium ad primam citationem non statuendum especially Lateranens sub Alexan p. 3. c. 5. for Ecclesiasticall matters but upon great urgent necessity S. Paul alloweth a manifest heretick two admonitions before he be reiected Much more where the offence is not manifest a canonicall that is thrice admonition should be used according to the constitution of Oxford nemo excommunicationem promulget c. No man shall denounce Excommunication where the excesse is not
manifest but Canonicall monition going before The manner is that the apparitor cannot personally cite the party to be summoned hee useth to leaue word at his house if he come not at the day he is forthwith as contumacious excommunicate Heerein a double errour is committed for if a man never appeared in the cause before the iudge he cannot bee cited at his house unlesse he can not be personally apprehended and againe he that is not personally cited is not verè but interpretative Linwood de iudic c. item vers decernimus ibid. v. personaliter contumax in the iudgement of the sounder Canonists VVherefore it is evident by these reasons that Excommunication goeth forth often for trifles 12 peny matters not for contumacy or contempt 5. If Excommunication bee sent forth onely for contempt where the originall is but a trifle and a twelue penny matter then what needed all those cauteles by Councels ne quenquam pro parvis levibus causis c. that none should bee excommunicate for small or trifling matters Aur. 3. c. 2. Vormatiens c. 13. Avernens as it is cited caus 11. q. 3. c. 42. for by this evasion there shall be no trifling matters at all but the pretence and colour of contempt shall countenance excommunication VVherefore the request of the Petitioners is agreable to the Scriptures and Canons that none be excommunicate for trifles The 2. Enormity against Excommunication without the consent of the Pastors Reasons and arguments to proue that Excommunication ought not to proceed from one alone but by the ioynt advise of the presbyters Pastors 1. EXcommunication should bee exercised by the Church that is an assemble math 18. 11. tell the Church c. If he will not heare the Church let him bee as an heathen and publicane Origene vpon these words saith tertio coreptionem mandat ad Ecclesiam deferendam c. In the third place he will haue the correction brought to the Church In the second he will haue two or three witnesses to bee vsed So Chrisostome vnderstandeth Episcopos praesidentes Ecclesiae The Bishops or Pastors and presidents or governors of the Church in Mat. 18. But one or two make not a Church for this were a preposterous course to proceed from one to two or three then to go back agayn to one Hierome writeth well concerning Iohn Hieron pammach Patriarke of Hierusalem An tu solus Ecclesia es qui te offenderit a Christo excluditur tibi soli licet Ecclesiae iura calcare tu quicquid feceris norma doctrinae est Are you alone the Church that whosoever offendeth you is excluded from Christ is it lawfull onely for you to tread under foote the rights of the Church whatsoever you do is it a rule of doctrine Ergo one man not being the Church cannot excommunicate 2. The government of the civill and Ecclesiasticall state are unlike c. But yee sha not be so Lu. 22. 25. But they rule alone as Monarchs The Kings of the Gentiles reign over them Ergo Bishops or other officers of the Church ought not to governe alone There ought ro be no Monarchy in the spirituall regiment of the visible Chur. as Monarchs in the Church and so not excommunicate alone This place is urged by a learned VVriter against a monarchy in the visible Church Quid apertius nisi expectetis ut locum proferamus ubi dixit apertè vos monarchae Ecclesiae esse non debetis What could bee sayd more plainly D. Sutcliffe l. 1. de opt Reip. statu cap. 7. unlesse you would haue us bring forth a place where Christ should say in plaine tearmes Yee shall not be Monarches of the Church As there ought not then to be a Monarch over the universall Church so by the same reason neither should there be any Ecclesiasticall Monarch over a Province or Diocesse Arg. 3. If S. Paul who had Apostolicall power would not excommunicate the incestuous person amongst the Corinthians without the consent of the Pastors and spirituall governours much lesse ought any Bishop Archdeacon c. do so now But the first is evident that S. Paul excōmunicateth together with the Pastors of Corinth the Apostle sent not onely his mandate to the Corinthians for them to execute but that the power and right of excommunication was ioyntly with the Apostle in the Pastors of Corinth as it may appeare by these reasons Ergo. 1. The Apostle rebuketh them for that they had not put him from them already before he had written to them vers 2. 2. They which had power to reconcile had power also to excommunicate For Eiusdem est ligare soluere It belongeth to the same to binde and to loose But the Pastors of Corinth haue power to reconcile 2. Cor. 2. 10. To whom you forgiue any thing I forgiue also c. 3. It is not like that the Church of Corinth had no power to excommunicate without the Apostle for then should they haue wanted a principall poynt of discipline when the Apostle was absent in remote places from them 4. The words of the Apostle doe evidently giue unto them the iudgement of Excommunication Doe yee not iudge them that are within 1. Cor. 5. 12. Vpon the which words Augustine thus writeth Aug. hom 50. c. 12. ut citatur caus 2. q. 1. ◠1◠Quibus verbis satis ostendit non temere aut quommodo libet c. By which words hee sufficiently sheweth that not rashly or howsoever but by iudgement the evill are to be removed from the communion of the Church Arg. 4. All that haue authority to preach haue power to binde and loose as the Apostle saith Wee are the sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish 2. Cor. 2. 16. Our Saviour giveth one generall commission to his Apostles and all faithfull Pastors their successours Whosoever sinnes yee remit they are remitted Ambrose saith Remittuntur peccata per Dei De Cain Abel l. 2. cap. 4. verbum cujus Leuites interpres executor est Sinnes are remitted by the word of God whereof the Minister is the interpreter and executor Basil saith Confession of sinnes must necessarily he made to them to whom the dispensation of the mysteries of God is committed Our English confession saith Seeing In regal contractioribus q. 288. Horn ser 11. one manner of word is given to all and one onely key belongeth to all wee say there is but one onely power of all ministers as concerning opening and shutting But all pastors haue authority to preach Ergo to binde and loose and consequently to excommunicate It will be answered that there are two kinds of administratiō of the keys a spirirituall in remitting retayning of sins externall in releasing the outward censures of the Church The first belongeth to all Pastors and the preachers of the Church but not the other Answ 1. Our Saviour Christ comprehendeth the whole
the publick use of the keyes be committed to Pastors as the private 5. And seeing presbyters in citties haue dealt with the censures the Pastors of the country should not be excluded 6. Neither is the frequenting of Synods any hinderance to the Ecclesiasticall presbytery 7. 8. 9. Nor any other inconvenience need to be feared VVe trust your Maiesty will follow the example of David to distribute the offices indifferently among the sonnes of Aaron 1. Chronicl 24. 4. that a Theodoret. lib. 5. c. 37. few onely haue not the preeminence and the rest bee despised Theodosius the Emperour when hee was excommunicate a levi homuncione of a light cockbrain fellow because hee granted not the thing which he requested would not enter into the Church before hee had been of the same party absolued As we condemne the malepartnesse of the Priest no such authority beeing giuen to any one in the world to censure Kings so thus far wee wish that good Emperour to be followed that the censures of the church may be reverēced being first restored to the originall institution We aske nothing but what your Maiesty hath given hope of that discipline 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 43. B. Bilson p. 320. Perpet gov be preserved in puritie according to the word and which some of the greatest opposites to this cause haue granted We take the power of the keys to be common to al that haue pastorall charge of soules in their degree And so wee conclude this matter with that sentence of Hierom which wee desire our reverend Bishops to think uppon sicut presbyteri c. as presbyters know that by the custome of the Church they are made subiect to him that is set over them ita Episcopi se noverint magis consuetudine quam dispensationis dominicae veritate presbyteris esse maiores in commune debere Ecclesiam regere So let Bishops know that rather by custome then any divine dispensation they are greater then presbyters and ought to governe the Church in common in 1. c. ad Titum citatur distinct 95. c. 5 And Hierome againe saith Episcopi sacerdotes se esse noverint non dominos honorent Clericos quasi Clericos ut ipsis a clericis quasi Episcopis honos deferatur scitum est illud oratoris Bomitij cur ego te habeam ut principem cum me non habeas ut senatorem If Bisbops will be counted as chiefe and principall they must admit their Pastors to bee as Senators and of their Councell Hierom. ad Nepotian 4. Against extorting of unreasonable fees Obj. 1. There are severe lawes made already in that behalfe p. 24. Answ Notwithstanding the severe canons provided against the extorting of unreasonable fees who knoweth not what intollerable exactions are used in Ecclesiasticall Courts The time was when the Cod. lib. 9. tit 27. Leg. 3. Gratian. Iudge ought to take nothing for his sentence when nothing was to be exacted of the innocent party Colon. p. 13. c. 7. speciem aequitatis non habet quod ab Innocentibus absolutis quippiam expensarum nomine exegatur when nothing was to bee taken of the poorer sort a pauperibus non valentibus solvere nihil recipiatur append Basil c. 10. It is not aboue 250. yeares since when this order was taken by Iohn Stratford of Canterbury Liuwood de censen c. Saeva that ministers should pay for their letters of orders but 6 pence for their letters of institution but 12 pence It hath bin decreed that none should exact ultra statuta Caus 16. q. 1. c. 62. leo Extr. com l. 3. tit 10. c. 1. patrum beyond the rates appointed and should take lesse then the custome not more But how the world is changed who can be ignorant what large fees are payed for sentence innocents not spared the pore not pittied for probates of testaments double required to that which the statute aloweth for acquittances Executors some ten some twenty yeares after are forced to pay some forty some fifty Shillings some more Letters of institution are growen from twenty Shillings in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reigne to foure or fiue pound Letters of orders taxed in many places after the same rate Archdeacons in their visitation haue exacted twelue pence sixteen pence yea two Shillings for the article books not much more aboue three pence And not long since when the fifth of August was commanded to be solemnised for the Kings deliverance in some dioceses the Church-wardens were urged to pay twenty pence for copies of the letters It were too long to reckon up al the exorbitant courses of these Ecclesiasticall courts and officers which since the canon made in the convocation anno 1597. haue been more intollerable then before and seing convocation canons are no more regarded wee desire that their exactions may be restrayned by parliament statutes that some of the ancient lawes may bee revived against such as either the law of Theodosius to be punished fourefould or the decree of Innocent the 3. Extorta restitu it Cod. lib. 9. tit 27. l. 6. tantundem pauperibus eroget to restore what is exacted and to giue so much to the poore or of Benedict the 12. that they pay twice so much within two moneths or Decr. Greg. lib. 3. c. 49. c. 8. Extrav com lib. 3. tit 10 c. 1. can 24. els be suspended from their office or the decree of the 8. generall Councell concerning such enormities aut corrigatur aut deponatur that if they bee not amended they should be deposed 5. Of farming of iurisdiction Censure IT is of it selfe a matter indifferent neither good nor evill but as it is used p. 24. Answ And doe our brethren hold the farming of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction to be so indifferent a thing How is it possible when some Chancellours and officials pay 20. some 30. some 50 poūd yearly for their place registers some an hundred some 200 pound some more but that they should extort in their office and by unreasonable and intollerable exactions make up their hard rents Is this thing neither good nor evill VVe wonder that men professing the Gospell should bee thus besotted and blinded seeing the papall Hierarchie hath detested such corruptions Lateranens par 1. c. 15. quidam pro certae pecuniae quantitate jurisdictionem Episcopalem exercent qui de caetero praesumpserit sic facere officio suo privetur Episcopus conferendi hoc officiū potestatē amitttat both the officer that farmeth his office shall bee deprived and the Bishop loose the gift So was it also decreed Coloniens sub Adulph med 3. c. 3. Non licet praelatis officia sua pro pecunia alicui committere that no prelates should let out their offices for mony 6. Of the restraint of marriage at certaine times Obiect IT is falsely called a popish canon it was anciently used in the Church Laodicen c. 52. and being rightly used is commendable c. Ans to
servare nec usurpare regnum sed vereri Wee haue learned to bee faitbfull to the Prince not to usurpe any kingdom but to reverence the king c. 6. They further vntruely charge the Petitioners Vutruth No such thing will ensue That povertie and lack of learning would creepe into the Clergie if their desire take place Answ p. 29. VVhereunto we answer 1. what though there be not sufficient maintenance left in some reformed Churches VVee pittie their estate and as much condemne the embeazelers of Church revenues as these censurers And it is an vncharitable speach that wee would haue our Churches reduced and made conformable to the calamitie of those places Neither is the povertie of those Churches the fruit of their reformation but of some mens couetousnes that are ready to Vntruth We would not haue our Church so reduced take any occasion to enrich themselues neither do the Petitioners urge the alteration of the ecclesiasticall state according to their platforme the Petitioners stand for the maintenance of a learned Ministerie as it may appeare by their motion of impropriations and wee say with Origen Nisi dederit oleum populus extinguetur lucerna in templo Hom. 13. in levit 2. That there are not many men brought up among them they meane in Scotland and other reformed Churches worthy of that honorable maintenance is not far from a defamation of so worthy a Church neither had that land ever more learned men both preachers and writers then are at this time The Kings own Testimony shall cleare this point There is presently a sufficient number of good men of the ministry of this kingdom How may his Maiesty take it to haue such an evill report brought up of his countrey 3. Of like truth it is that the petitioners Vntruth here called at their pleasures evill malicious ungrateful men can see nothing in the Church but defects deformities VVee neither condemne that which is good for the evill nor yet iustifiy the evill as they do together with the good that were to use too little a measure and this too large as one saith Mensura maior est quando plus donatur rebus quam merita deposcunt minor cum subtrahitur meritis Apol. pamph quod debetur 4. VVe wish also that all which professe the truth were in our condition but with S. Pauls exception Excepting these bonds our Act. 26. 29. state were most happy if this servitude under humane constitutions were removed 5. And we wish with all our hearts it were as they say That our Reverend Prelates did contayne themselues within such bounds as preserue that state from creeping to any papall corruptions But how can this be truly sayd when as the discipline of the Ecclesiasticall courts is altogether the same setting the supremacy aside which was exercised under the pope The corruption is not reformed being by an other authority maintayned the Canon saith Cum quid una via prohibetur alieni ad id alia non debet admitti That which is forbidden one way ought not to be admitted an other The corruptions of the Ecclesiasticall state as by the papall supremacy are not now practised so by his Maiesties princely authority we trust shall bee purged to whom the honour of this worke must be left not to the Bishops themselues to chaine them with such bonds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 44 as may preserue that state from creeping to corruption 6. That there is yet remaining to Colledges Cathedrall Churches Bishops such sufficent and honorable maintenance the Ans to the Pet. p. 31. Petitioners which are vniustly traduced as impugners of the state doe therein reioyce and wish together with the continuance good employment of them Such as do prey vpon the Church tithes and inheritance and they which assent vnto them we hould guiltie of great impietie Ambrose well saith in Orat. in Aâ—xent an other case Naboth vineam non tradidit suam nos trademus Ecclesiam Christi si ille patrum haereditatem non tradidit ego tradam haereditatem Christi i. If Naboth would not forgo the inheritance of his fathers much lesse should any betray the inheritance of the Church 7. If it be admited that there were more Ans to Pet. p. 31. learned men in this kingdome then among all the Ministers of the religion in all Europe beside that doth not proue that there are no dumb unlearned Ministers in the Church 1. And where will our brethren find so many learned men if they exclude all those preachers which desire reformation whom at other times they will hardly afford the name of learning 2. And it need not to be marvailed at if England may compare in number of learned Pastors with most reformed countries though the comparison bee too large to set it alone against all Europe seeing in this one land there are more parish Churches which are occasions of learned Ministers then in all the Protestant reformed nations 4. But considering the whole number of Parishes which riseth to not so few asten thousand as we may compare for learned Ministets so we feare wee exceed them for unlearned Scotland hath not the third part of that number nor the tenth of our maintenance but there are few Churches which haue not a preaching Minister therein we wish we could compare with them 5. As this Church of England aboundeth with many learned men so it would abound much more for every learned minister wee should haue two if that course might be taken which the humble Petitioners desire but now as wee haue many bright shining lamps so there are more dim twinkling stars The third part of the land is darkened with unpreaching ministers that we may say with Origen Alij sunt quorum pars aliqua observatur ut in Revelatione percussa est tertia pars lunae alij qui penitus cadunt ut stellae à draconis cauda Tractat. 30. â—â— Mat. tractae Though the dragons taile of Rome thankes bee to God hath not smitten our starres to the ground yet a third part of our morne is obscured 8. And true it is that as our brethren say our inferiour Clergie even the thousand preachers Petitioners with their fellow labourers so dispised not the dumb idle ministers and Non-residents haue been the most effectual meanes to settle the tranquilitie of the land by inducing mens mindes unto piety towards God loyalty to their King and to use their own words as the Apostle gaue his detractors to understand that he was not inferiour to the chiefe Apostles nay that he laboured more then they all In like case we doubt not but a truth may be be averred of our selues even by our selues without any ostentation at all when it is so iniuriously impeached and troden under feet to the high dishonour of God the disgrace of his Gospell and to the slander of this most Christian Common-wealth Thus haue we answered our brethren for this matter with their owne words but much more truely without any ostentation of vanity but in the plaine declaration of verity and we say with Ambrose Non est Ambr. ser 15 in Psal 129. hoc ulla virtutum iactantia sed vita innocentis assertio aliud est dignum se praemia dicere aliud indignum iniuria It is not to boast of our vertues but to avow our innocency and one thing it is to say that wee are worthy of reward and another that we are unworthy of iniury And thus for this time haue we ended our iust plea and reply for the truth leaving the iudgement thereof to your Christian Maiesty wherein to our knovvledge we haue maintained nothing which is not consonant to the Scriptures and agreeable to the ancient practise of the primitiue Church In handling wherof we humbly craue pardon if we haue been too tedious Our intendment was not so much to confute the gain-sayers as to confirme the truth and we herein follow Cyprians counsell Semel laboravimus ne alij Ad Fortunat. semper laborarent We haue taken this paines at once to ease other of continuall paines That where they doubt they may bee resolued where they are wavering they might bee setled and wherein they haue not yet travelled they may be further informed Now to your excellent Maiesty we hartily wish the compassion of David the wisedom of Salomon the faithfulnesse and zeale of Moses both tenderly to pitty wisely to discerne and uprightly to determine these causes and controversies of the Church according to these excellent graces of Clemencie Prudencie and Piety wherewith God hath enlarged your Princely heart to the honour of Christ the comfort of his Church your Maiesties immortal renown in earth everlasting reward in Heaven FINIS
power of the keyes under the name of retayning and remitting sins Ioan. 20. 23. Therefore he that hath right to the one hath likewise to the other 2. VVhere sins upon the sufficient declaration of repentance are remitted there the censures of the Church ought to bee released Neither is it lawfull to hold the penitent long under the censures whē they haue sufficiently testified their repentance as the Apostle moveth the Corinthians to forgiue the incestuous person after he had sufficiently sorrowed hee then which 2. Cor. 2. 10 hath right to the more hath right to the lesse according to the Law cui licet quod Reg. iuris 53 est plus licet utique quod est minus If Pastors then and preachers haue power to remit sinnes in the name of Christ much more to release the temporall censures Arg. 5. To whom the power of order belongth the power also of Iurisdiction appertaineth S. Paul ioyneth them both The Pastors and Presbyters right in laying on of handes Extran Ioā tit 4. c. 5. together in Timothy 1. Tim. 5. 19. against an elder receeiue no accusation c. there is the power of iurisdiction vers 22. Lay hands suddēly on no mā there is the power of order the corrupt Extravagants will grant this proposition claues de quibus agimus in collatione sacerdotalis ordinis conferuntur the keyes whereof we entreat are conferred in the collation of Priestly order But Presbyters haue interest in conferring of orders 1. Tim. 4. 14. Despise not the gift that is in thee c. by the laying on of hands of the presbitery or Eldership Here it is evident that the Pastors and Presbyters layd on their hands together with the Apostle Some by the presbytery here understand the office of Eldership which Tymothy 1. Exposition Perpetual govern p. 78. was ordained unto but the words will not beare this sence for here is mentioned the imposition of hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the The place 1. Tim. 4. 14. of the Presbyters expounded 2. Exposition ibid. 249. Eldership How can the office it selfe put on hands the persons then not the office must of necessity be understood Some by the presbyters vnderstand Bishops but that can not bee for as yet in the Apostles tyme there was no distinction betweene Bishops and presbyters as it may appeare by S. Pauls description of Presbyters Pastors of old admitted to lay on hands a Bishop 1. Tim. 3. VVhich is common to the presbyters And this poynt followeth more fully to bee declared in the next argument Others say that the presbyters and Pastors 1. Exposition Ibid. p. 93. might lay hands on Timothy as well as Paul but at another tyme and to another end But S Paul saying in another place stirre vp the gifte of God which is in 2. Tim. 1. 6. the by the putting on of hands evidently sheweth that he at the same time put on hands with the presbyters for he speaketh of the same gifte in both places which was conferred vpon him by imposition of hands And further if the presbyters ioyned 4. Exposition with Paul in imposition of hands yet was it not of necessity as though S. Pauls Ibid. p. 94. hands had not beene sufficient without them to giue the holy ghost VVee answer that although it bee graunted that in respect of Pauls person who was an Apostle and had an extraordinary power and calling the imposition of hands by the presbytery was not essentially necessary yet in respect of the president and perpetuall order which was to be left to the Church of Christ it was necessary for it is not like that so wise an Apostle would els haue busied himselfe with so vnnecessary and superfluous a work in associating the Elders where he needed not But notwithstanding all these naked shiftes and deceitfull glosses this place of S. Paul is pregnant to proue the copartnership of presbyters in giuing of orders and thus was it practised by the Church afterward Carth. 4. c. 3. Omnes presbyteri qui praesentes sunt c. Let all the presbyters present lay their hands by the hand of the Bishop vpon his head that is to bee ordayned And can 24. Episcopus sine concilio Clericorum c. The Bishop must not ordayne Clarkes without a councell of his Clergie Object This Imposition of hands by the Perpet govern p. 251. presbyters was a consent rather then a consecration Answ That appeareth to be otherwise by that constitution of Vrban ordinationes factaesine communi sensu Clericorum irritae Ordinations made without the common consent Caus 12. q. 2. cap. 37. of the Clergie are voyd If the presbyters had not power and right of ordination there was no reason to make it voyd without them Ergo seeing presbyters haue a ioynt power in ordination iurisdiction is not to bee denyed vnto them Arg. 6. If both the name and office of a Bishop and presbyter by the word of God are all one then by the word of God the spirituall iurisdiction belongeth to them both But the first is true as Hierome proveth out of S. Paul Apostolus perspicuè docet eosdem esse presbyteros quos Episcopos c. The Apostle plainly teacheth that Presbbyters are the same with Bishops as Tit. 1. 5. he calleth them presbyters which vers 7. are named to bee bishops ad Evag. Bishop Iewell proveth by the Word that a Bishop and Presbyter are allone def apol p. 284. In 1. Tim. Hom. 11. 3. Reverend Bishop Iewel sheweth the same by the testimony of Hierom Chrysostome Ambrose Augustine that a Bishop and a Priest are all one Chrysostome saith Inter Episcopum Presbyterum interest ferè nihil There is almost no difference between a bishop and a Priest And then hee inferreth thus All these and more holy Fathers with S. Paul the Apostle for thus saying that a bishop and a priest are all one by M. Hardings advice must be holden for Heretickes If it be answered that the names were confounded in the Apostles but the office and functions were divers Bellar. lib. 1. de Cleric c. 25. This answer may bee easily removed for as a reverend writer telleth us The same charge and the same grace Perpetuall gover p. 203. concludeth the same function But S. Paul requireth the same graces in a Bishop and Presbyter 1. Tim. 3. Hierome sayth De Hier. Evag. Presbytero reticetur quia in Episcopo Presbyter reticetur c. There is no mention made of a Presbyter because he is contained in the name of a Bishop Ambrose saith Episcopi Presbyteri una ordinatio est c. There is one ordination of a Bishop and Presbyter but the Bishop is the first If they haue one ordination then they haue both one function by the word of God howsoever afterward the Church in pollicie hath distinguished them which was done as Hierome saith In schismatis remedium To avoyd schismes